Cruel Fate
by national babe
Summary: Sequel to Cruel Irony. Izuku is struggling on alone, dealing with a multitude of issues. His few friends are trying to support him, but will they succeed in making sure that he returns to a stable mental state, or will he continually feel that he has failed the only one who has believed in him? "Am I doing the right thing? I'm so lost Master." (the oc is spinner btw)
1. The Meeting

\- one month ago -

The man looked up as the door swung open.

Elija Woods tried to be an honest man, a good husband and a loving father, so he could barely figure why he was sitting in a shabby, dark underground building, known for its less than lawful dealings. He could barely stand the place, but where else could he go? Who he was meeting was his last hope for his wife.

His eyes widened as the imposing figure stepped inside the small room. Woods was unsure whether he should stand or remain seated as Stain's Apprentice crossed the threshold.

Though told to be barely older than a boy, being 15 or 16 years old, The Apprentice easily matched Woods in height. His masked face and cloaked figure made him appear older in the shady lighting. The boy turned, tossing a small bag of money at the greedy 'businessman'.

"Leave us."

The man scuttled away, fully aware of the power the boy held, even though he was less than half of his own age.

The boy turned back to Elija. His steps sounded heavy as he walked slowly to the table. He pulled out the empty chair and sat across from Woods.

"Alright. You've gone through all of this work to talk to me." Izuku Midoriya set his hands on the table in a business like fashion. "Let's hear what you have to say."

\- later -

Izuku and Elijah walked briskly through the city, street lamps illuminating their figures. Izuku had his red backpack slung over his shoulders and carried a Health textbook under one arm. Seemingly very little for a life or death situation, but Izuku always had back-up plans B through Z.

Soon, the odd pair stood outside of Elija's house. As Elija rummaged for his keys, Izuku put his hand on the older man's arm.

"Did you leave the kitchen light on?"

Elija looked up, and shook his head. "No, I put Mathew to sleep and turned off all the lights."

Izuku nodded, removing his hand and setting it on the handle of one of his knives. As the door opened, Izuku crept in first, setting his books and bag on the floor without a sound. He walked into the kitchen, Elija following behind.

The 'intruder' was a small kid, maybe seven or eight, holding a glass of water and looking timidly up at the two.

"Mathew? What are you doing up?" Elija asked of his only son.

Mathew shifted, tail inbetween his legs. Literally.

His American heritage was plain to see. He had fluffy ears sprouting from his head, and a shaggy tail flicking from side to side. His nose and mouth turned into a point slightly and he had large golden brown eyes.

His quirk left him with the ears, nose, and tail of a coyote. Izuku stared at the boy as Mathew shifted in his place.

"Mom was coughing again. She needed a drink." The boy lifted a hand to point at Izuku. "Is he a doctor?"

Izuku chuckled lightly, squatting down to be eye level with the boy, and pulled his goggles off.

"Of a sort. I'm a specialist you might say." He held out his hand and Mathew tentatively shook it. "I am here to do my best to help your mother." Izuku took the glass of water from the child, ruffling his hair. "Run along now."

Mathew meekly complied, scurrying away. Izuku huffed, smiling underneath his mask.

"When you said you and your family were American, I didn't think you meant THAT American."

Elija smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "He took after his grandparents and mother. I don't think he has even a hint of myself in him."

Soon all mirth fell away as Izuku stood in the master bedroom, looking at the frail woman before him.

She was deathly pale, taking in shallow breaths. Her strong brown hair laid tangled and dirty around her face, her cheeks sunken in and her eyes closed. Her relation to her son was obvious. What ever her quirk was, it left her with the same added looks as Mathew only silvery grey and with not quite as pointed a nose. Combined with her clear Asian roots, made her quite beautiful, even near death. Her appearance however, didn't look intimidating anymore, only pathetic.

Izuku stepped forward quietly, sitting next to her on the bed. He held one delicate hand, feeling her pulse rate. It was dangerously low, and she didn't even stir as he respectfully examined her.

Izuku clicked off his mask, allowing himself to breathe. It had suddenly felt very cramped in there as images of his own mother flashed before his eyes. He pulled rubbed his temples through his ski mask. Another headache was growing.

"If you don't mind, I need some painkillers and something simple to eat." Izuku asked politely. "I can't focus, and I'm running on an empty stomach."

Elija nodded, walking off to do as he was asked.

Izuku pulled off his ski mask, the cloth suddenly feeling scratchy and hot. He whipped his hood back and returned to his new patient after he took a deep calming breath. He started flipping through his Health textbook and personal notes.

From his backpack Izuku pulled out a board, folded in half. He snapped it open and swiftly attatched extendable legs, setting it to stand as waist height. He set his laptop on the flat surface and instantly pulled up Google search, setting it to search automatically for rare diseases. He wondered, as he quickly wrote notes, how he had gotten himself in this situation. He himself was barely fit to be out and about, let alone tending to someone even more sick than he was. His anxiety had been a constant demon for him, and he often was absentminded about small things.

As he measured Mrs Woods' breathing, he reflexively reached for a cup of tea that sat on his desk. Elija's eyes widened as the teen before him gulped down the scalding tea he had just sat down on the desk that hadn't been there when he's left. The child continued murmuring, jumping from topic to topic and back again. The reports were right as Stain's Apprentice was truly just a 16 year old boy. And a sick looking one at that. He had bags and spots under his eyes and his skin was pale. His emerald eyes had lost some of their shine, and his hair had started growing out in a disheveled, tangled manor.

Elija cleared his throat, and Izuku whipped his head to look at the older man, clearly having fogotten that he was there.

"Oh. Thank you." He took the plate and swallowed the pills dry before taking a bite if a sandwich. His eyes widened. "Oh." He reached a hand up and touched his bare chin, realizing that his identity was open for the older man to see.

Woods smiled in a fatherly way. "It's ok lad. I promise I won't tell."

Izuku knew that he couldn't do anything more and nodded, pulling his mouth into a line, and turned back to the dying woman and mother.

"This whole disease is completely strange." Izuku scratched his scalp with his pencil while he scrolled through Google. "On the surface it seems just to be a really bad cold, or maybe the flu, but her internal organs are failing, her heartbeat and breathing beyond dangerous." He tilted his head, a thought occurring to him. "What's her quirk?"

Elija waved a hand to his wife's features. "Minor super strength. I can create barriers that break if I'm distracted, but we haven't found an certain strength that will break it yet. Mathew, despite how he looks, inherited a quirk related to his grandmother. He can heal certain amounts, depending on how much he has eaten."

Izuku turned his head sharply, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "Have you...?"

The sad look in Elija's eyes made him stop mid question. "I didn't ask him to, but he did try to heal his mother while I was out asking a hero corporation for help. She reacted badly to it, though I don't know why."

Izuku held his chin, deep in thought.

Finally he sighed and stood.

"I can only think of one thing that might work. I have only tested it a few times however, and on nothing as severe as this." Izuku looked Elija in the eyes, grim. "I cannot promise that it will work."

Elija grabbed Izuku's hand, holding onto it tightly. "But there is a chance, yes?"

Izuku nodded slowly, resisting the urge to pull his hand away. "It's our last chance."

Elija nodded sharply. "I'll take that chance, and deal with any consequences."

Izuku nodded, gently removing his hand. "Very well. We'll need to carry her back to my place. I'll get your son, pick her up."

Izuku collapsed his desk and packed it all into his backpack with deft quickness as Elija picked his wife up gently. Slinging his backpack over his shoulders Izuku quickly stepped through the household, calling for little Mathew. They hopped into the car, Izuku in the passenger seat as Mathew held his dying mother in the back seats as Elija drove away according to Izuku's instructions. The drive was short and full of tension.

Quicker than it felt, they pulled up outside a dilapidated apartment building. Izuku swung the front doors open, steeping through as if he owned the place. He might as well have.

Izuku walked in, slapping a small stack of money on the counter which housed an oily and bitter looking man.

"They'll be staying with me. I'll tell you later for how long."

The man eyed the stack of cash. "You know I wouldn't be able to stop you even if I wanted, yeah?"

"Yes. Are you going to refuse money?"

The small band rushed up the stairs, passing mold spots and holes in the walls. Elija didn't speak it, but his face showed that he didn't believe this was the right place to heal someone already in the brink of death.

Atleast the highest floor was free of mold spots. Some of the walls had been broken through, causing some areas on the floor to be slightly dusty, but there was no rubble lying around. Izuku pulled out a key, biting it and pulling off the fake teeth, revealing a simple pin. He stuck this in the lock of his door with a resulting beep and click. Izuku ushered them inside, throwing his head gear and bags on the nearby couch.

"Stay in here Mathew, please."

The little coyote grabbed his father's arm, pulling him to a stop. Mathew looked to his father with wide and fearful eyes.

"What if this doesn't work Dad?"

Elija swallowed. What could he say? Even Izuku didn't know if it would work. He knelt down by his only child.

"I don't know buddy. But no matter what, I'll be here for you. I promise." He kissed the top of his son's head and stood once more.

"I was being honest when I said I'd do everything in my power to save your mother." Izuku didn't smile, only looked neutrally to them both. "Come Elija. In here."

The father followed, and the door snapped shut.

The room was large, slightly bigger than a medium bedroom, with shelves, tables, and desks filled with journals and inventions. One shelf was filled entirely with tools and tool boxes, some open and some scattered about the desks. It clearly hadn't been getting much attention cleaning wise, but considering what the boy must have been going through, Elija couldn't really blame him.

Elija gently laid his wife on the strange contraption that The Apprentice gestured too, which was the only surface free of clutter. Izuku sped around the room, flipping buttons and connecting wires. He bumped into Woods more than omce, unaccustomed to having another person in the room with him. After the third time, Izuku stopped and took a deep breath, eyebrows knit.

"I'll, leave."

Izuku looked embarrassed that his irritation had shown. "You don't have to, it's alright."

Woods waved his hand, smiling sadly and walking to the door. "No. I can tell I'm in your way." He cast a worried look to his wife. "Just, make sure to come and tell us."

Izuku nodded, promising to do as the worried father asked, and was left to himself.

He took a deep breath, and continued about his work. He hit the on switch and watched, wide eyed, at the power of his creation. Mechanical rings, glowing with light, shone in the room as they moved up and down Mrs Woods' frail frame, gaining speed. An optimistic hum filled the room as a surge of color filled her cheeks. He walked away, stepping to the window, to watch as blocks of light went out in the city's night sky.

Izuku chewed his lip. He stepped over to his console, adjusting the settings to make sure that the machine supplying her with new life wouldn't run out of energy prematurely.

\- meanwhile -

In the living room, Elija and Mathew were forced to try and entertain themselves how they could in the bare living space. Elija was currently wandering about the kitchen as Mathew watched animal shows on the small television screen.

Elija picked up a delicately framed picture. It showed Izuku, covered in flour and icing, grinning next to his laughing mother. They were both smiling and looked like they were perfectly happy. Elija picked up another picture, this one without a frame, and looked at it too in curiosity. This one showed a rather exasperated looking Chizome staring at his beaming pupil, clearly unappreciative of being caught in a selfie.

The only thing that connected the two radically different adults, was the carefree fifteen year old in both. This version looked the exact opposite of the teen Woods had just left to care for his wife. This Izuku had everything he had ever wanted. He had a healthy complexion and his eyes sparkled with vigour. His hair was well kept and his clothes orderly. He had no bags under his eyes and his skin was well tanned.

Elija could almost hear the happy laughter that seemed to emanate from the satisfying pictures, and it seemed cruel that the boy had been broken to where he was now.

Elija shook his head, setting the prized pictures down respectfully. He moved into the kitchen, remembering how Izuku had said that he had shown up on an empty stomach. His jaw dropped as he looked into the fridge.

It was almost completely empty. There was half of a jug of milk, a package of cheese, a few small apples and fruits, two eggs, and half of a box of rice. Checking the cupboards he found the same scene. A box of crackers and dry cereal along with some stored cash and was all. The only thing he had plenty of was bottles of pain killers, other general medication, and sleeping pills.

Though he was never able to pinpoint exactly when he felt the need to care for Izuku, Elija would always suspect it was when he saw how bad the boy's life truly was at that point. He was living on less than the bare essentials on a daily basis, pushing himself still and often making headlines for his continued attacks.

All of that, while sick and underfed.

Elija's shocked reverie was broken by the sound of the door opening and Izuku rushing out. He dashed into the bathroom and was suddenly and violently sick from stress again.

Elija was frozen, unsure whether to rush to Izuku's side or to abandon everything and barge into the other room to see his wife.

He was saved by Izuku returning from the bathroom, wiping bile from his chin. "Sorry." He managed a weak smile.

Woods nodded, understandingly. "My wife?"

Izuku's smile widened, and he jerked his thumb to the open door. "I told you I'd do everything in my power for her. And I have."

Elija wasted no more time, rushing to his wife's side in a second, Mathew right behind him. He unashamedly cried when he saw the change that had come over her.

Her skin was colorful once again, her cheeks no longer sunken in. Her breaths were strong and deep as is fitting of one's who is deeply asleep, and the monitor showed a constant and healthy heartbeat. She held onto his hand in her sleep and smiled as she heard their voices, though unable to wake up and hold her family. Mathew looked up at his father, holding his mother's other hand.

"Her hands aren't cold anymore Dad!" The child smiled, the little doctor in him knowing that his mother had gone through a miracle.

Elija Woods cried harder, leaning over and kissing his sleeping, healthy, wonderful wife. He looked behind himself as Izuku leaned in the doorway, still looking quite pale, but pleased with himself.

"I'm afraid it may take her some time to wake. Possibly the whole night, but regardless, your wife should live." Any further progression of the doctor's analysis was cut short as Woods rushed Izuku and wrapped the startled teen in his arms, regardless of bile on his shirt and his overwhelming fatigue.

"I can never repay you. You have done so much. Bless you child!"

Izuku didn't know how to respond, simply standing there as a worn but rejoicing father cried into his shoulder, little Mathew laying his head on his mother's hand and falling asleep.

\- Later -

Izuku stood in front of the fridge.

He and Elija had worked out a plan, once the father had composed himself. He, his wife, and his son, would stay on the top floor of the apartment building with Izuku, so he could monitor Mrs Woods and make sure no problems occurred. He told Woods over and over again that he did not consider them to be indebted to him. He had simply done what was the right and kind thing to do when no one else would.

Elija's coworkers and superiors at his job wouldn't spare him a second glance, let alone spend thousands of dollars on a seemingly hopeless case. Hero corporations wouldn't work without a hefty fee, despite the desperate situation.

Part of the reason Izuku had helped, which he also explained to Woods, was the irony of the whole situation. He, a murderous anti-hero with a shocking record for one so young, was the only one to show kindness to and immigrant family from America with a dying mother.

But beyond that, and his gentle nature of helping those in need, he remembered how Stain had shown him mercy and kindness when everyone else had failed him and turned their backs aside from his own mother. While he wasn't planning on turning this loving family into a crowd of loving murderers, he couldn't resist following Akaguro's example, and helping those he could.

But now, with his new friends out his way again and sleeping in an adjacent apartment, he found himself looking at his master in the picture. Izuku's thumb covered his own face, but Chizome was unobscured and clear.

The happy scene should have made him smile.

He choked out a sob and sunk to his knees instead.

"Am I doing the right thing?" He whispered quietly to the picture. He rubbed a tear off of the photo before it could mar. "I'm so lost Master." He fell to the side, feeling hopelessly alone.

He gasped as he jostled his right side, and groaned in despair. He pulled his shirt back and observed the cut which wouldn't heal for anything. He had forgotten about it in his rush to save Mrs Woods and now the pain was back to remind him. He sighed and chose to ignore it, too depressed for common sense.

He slowly got up, carrying the photo with him, and sunk into his/Chizome's bed.

"You wanted me to go home, but you are all I have." He continued whispering to the man frozen in the picture, voicing his worries and afflictions to something that could not help him. "How can I call back there 'home', when you're the only one who has ever believed in me?"

He fell into a fitful and restless sleep, frequently waking up from having moved his side too much, or to rush to the bathroom again.

The week passed by with remarkable results from Mrs. Lily Woods. She was up and walking in a day's time, albeit, a little shakily. She and her husband butted heads over his actions to save her, but they were soon dissolved when Izuku returned and again reassured them that they were not indebted to him at all. The two quieted, and the little family grew close to Izuku in that week. He would miss them greatly when they left from their 'vacation' but overall didn't think much of it.

Therefore, the end of the week brought an unusual and unexpected surprise for Izuku.

Elija, as long as Izuku was in this line of business, to repay the debt he still felt, promised that he could be called upon by Izuku whenever the boy had need of him, under the condition that he would not be ordered to kill.

Izuku tried to refuse, he didn't want this for the family, but Mrs. Lily and Mathew both stood behind Elija, supporting him and Izuku found he couldn't say no. And so, preparation to move the family into the top floor of the Apartment building began. Izuku strenuously cleaned and remodeled the apartment they had chosen, lightly cleaning the rest of the top floor as well. His cut grew worse, but for some reason the he himself couldn't pin down, he didn't tell them. Perhaps he could go out to the mall or someplace for some fresh air when they finished settling in the new tenants.

The Woods returned to their home and began to cut ties with the very few neighbors and friends who cared for the little family. Packing their belongings and visiting Izuku frequently, they had almost as busy a week that he did.

It took the rest of the month for things to settle down, and Izuku was beyond ready for a calming walk through the mall. His cut however, had grown dangerously infected and the Woods began to suspect that something was awry, but he simply told them it was continued stress and hard work and that a walk would freshen him up.

When he came back, true to his word, he looked significantly better, though of course they couldn't tell why. Meeting an old friend and having said friend spend time to patch up your own sorry self, is something you don't tend to share with others.

Izuku found he had a new purpose, a new foundation on which to stand for the time being. If he failed, so be it. If he succeeded, well, he pitied anyone who would get in his way.

But visions of grandeur aside, he had to deal with another adventure first, then All Might.

Training camp.

Now if he could just stop throwing up every morning from nerves, that'd be ideal.

A/N

So, I should probably stop telling you guys when I break my previous word count record. Otherwise, that'll get really old, really fast.

Any way HEY HEY HEY! You're back again, so hard off to you! Did ya miss me? Admit it, you missed me! So, no library visit, but I will probably be going soon, so I may not be posting chapters quite as often. But, library or no library, I promised chapter one in a week, so here you are!

Next chapter jumps straight to the camp arc (finally). Heads up, chap 3 is REALLY violence heavy. I was going to combine ch 2 and 3, but that would be far too long and I'm not going to split a fight scene in half, so ch 3 is probably going to be rather long as well as violent and probably gory. Since its basically all fighting, it may take me a while to get it out.

While I'm here, since I didn't fully explain it in the chapter, I'll fill you lot in on my oc family right now. This is rather long so buckle up or leave. So the Woods are immigrants from good old Murica, Mrs Lily's parents being immigrants from Japan. They married, had Mathew, and moved to Japan when their son was 6. Soon, she fell ill with this mystery disease. Elija couldn't get his co-workers and superiors at his job (he's a policeman, using his quirk to keep civilians away from villain attacks) to help him, due to how shortly he had been working there and how he had been struggling with his Japanese, so they all brushed him off and didn't listen to him. He couldn't work with any hospitals or hero corps due to the heavy price and their lack of ability to pay (they JUST moved to a diff country, they wouldn't have much mulah). When Izu's fight and challenge the night of the alleyway throwdown went live across the country, he (just like the rest of Japan) saw just how smart and inventive Izuku was, so he started heading down to underground criminal hotspots, asking around to meet with Stain's Apprentice. And now, here we are!

WOOOO! Chapter one my dears, hope you enjoy! What is my boi going to do eh?

So long Lovies!


	2. The Chaos Begins

Izuku crouched in a casual manner atop the cliff, gazing down at the destruction before him. It oddly made him smile, knowing who was behind it. The blue flames devouring the dense forest kept him enraptured as he watched them dance and roar, the panicked cries from below reaching his ears.

"Fire. Such a versatile instrument " he muttered to himself, making mental notes to put in his journals later. "And so hot too! I am jealous."

A surprised squeak came from behind him and Izuku turned his head lazily. A small kid, less than 10, was standing a few steps away, clearly not having expected Izuku to be there. He held a controller and a small bug like drone sat on his other hand. Izuku raised an eyebrow and smiled behind his mask as he recognized his own workmanship. His equipment had been shipped prior to his disappearance and it seemed that the Pussycats had been allowed to keep his inventions. There was something relaxing about seeing his own tech once again, and his shoulders rolled forward at the sight of the adorable bug drone.

He waved nonchalantly. "Hey there kiddo. Whatcha got there?" Kota held the mechanic closer to himself, not answering Izuku's question. "Hmm. You probably slipped out before the attack started didn't you?"

"A-attack?" Kota asked, his voice betraying the fear he was working to hide.

Izuku pointed outward, gesturing to the flames below. "That attack." Kota's eyes widened as he finally realized the danger he was in. Izuku sighed and stood, patting his coat free of dirt. He took a step towards Kota, the boy backing away. Izuku halted and put up his hands placatingly. "I'm not here to hurt you kiddo."

"Why should I trust you?" Kota accused, taking another step backwards. The bug drone flicked it's wings, ready to do what it's controller and/or master wished. It didn't posses any combat capabilities, but it's wings would be a pain if they came in contact with skin while working at full power. Not that Izuku would have allowed that anyway. He put a vocal override code into each of his mechanics and all responded to his wishes over any controller.

Izuku tilted his head, thinking the question over. "Good point. You know nothing about me and, while I haven't done anything threatening toward you, I seem completely unfazed by the prospect of a villain attack. Therefore, the natural conclusion is that I am one of the villains in this attack." Izuku shrugged, remaining calm and aloof. "But as to why you should trust me," Izuku turned as a cloaked figure emerged behind them, grinning in malice "I'm the one standing between you and him."

Muscular stepped forward, observing the two. "Who are you two? You're not on the list are you?"

Izuku stepped forward, as if a host welcoming his guest. "No! We are not on your list." He bluffed, not sure what list this was.

Muscular grinned wider, lowering into a fighting stance. "Good. Means I can kill you and no one will care."

Izuku swore internally, but kept his cool. "Oh, I don't think so." He pulled out one of his knives and his short sword. "Do I not look familiar to you at all?" Muscular hesitated, trying to place where he had seen the teen before. "Do you even watch the news at all? I was all they could talk about these past two months."

Muscular started as he realized the bratty teen before him was none other than Stain's Apprentice. "So you're Stain's brat huh? Figured you'd be older what with how Handsy Face had been treating you. He won't let your fanatics meet you."

Izuku shrugged. 'This thug is not worth my time and effort.' He rolled with another lie, hoping to get out of this situation without violence for the kid's sake. "Yes, that was my request. I don't like to be pestered. Dear Tomura, you see, called me here for separate business, and we agreed that it would be best if I wasn't being bothered by them."

"Then why are you here now?" Muscular jumped in at the plot hole in Izuku's story.

"I ran into this child, and I would rather you didn't kill him. Innocent lives have no need to be wasted so."

Muscular grinned insanely, licking his lips and staring at Kota. "Oh, but that's where we differ! Innocent lives have every need to be wiped off of the face of the planet."

Kota started crying from shock, recognizing the horrible villain as the one who killed his parents, but Izuku only stepped defensively in front of the child. "I would not do so if I were you." He looked imposing, a wisp of smoke rising to the cliff and curling around his ankles. "I have no morals against killing other villains, and if you should by some chance succeed against me, Shigaraki would be most displeased with you."

Muscular laughed. "You think you can beat me?!" Muscle layers began piling onto his body, the cloak tearing and fluttering to the ground. "Have you any idea what I'm capable of?!"

"Oh, I know everything you're capable of." And Izuku did. He had been watching all of the new members of the League very closely and had been doing extensive searches on all of them. "Your problem, is that you don't know what all I am capable of." Izuku took a step forward, challenging the older man. "Did you forget how quickly I dispatched Endeavor? The only reason he is still alive right now is simply because I want to see him suffer." He looked Muscular in the eyes, the blue fire reflecting off of his goggles. "If I were you, I'd leave now, and let me deal with this child."

There was a still moment, then Muscular turned and headed back the way he had come.

Izuku wasted no time, turning and sprinting the few steps to where Kota was. He bodily hefted the child upwards, sticking him high on a tree branch, and turned and swung his blade out. Muscular had attempted a 'surprise' attack, but underestimated his smaller opponent. The blade caught Muscular on the cheek, blood splattering across them both. Seizing the free moment, he tossed a small compact device to the child before kicking Muscular away again. The sound of Izuku's steel toed boot connecting with the older man's chin made a disgusting pop.

"Send that back to camp with the bug drone, and hurry!"

Izuku lowered into a fighting stance, Muscular rising to his feet and grinning with bloodlust. Kota whimpered in fear, hastily doing as he was asked and fumbling with the devices to the point where he nearly dropped them both.

As the bug drone started it's journey towards the relative safety of camp, a timer that would end in life and death started as the two combatants rushed each other. Death would come to at least one on that cliff, and all it depended on was if Izuku could hold out and defend Kota until the drone reached its destination.

A/N

Hello my dearest dears! Sorry for the rather short chapter. Hope I haven't disappointed you readers. And so many of you already, the first chapter has only been up for a day. And lots of comments and questions so here we go!

ILiekFishes: I am not continuing this in this first book for multiple reasons. One, because I say so, and I'm the author. Two, people (from my own experiences) are more likely to read a 20k word, 20chapter book in a series (and yes there will be three books in total (and probably another side book going over things that aren't discussed (such as things in the jump inbetween bks 2 and 3, Stain's meeting with izu, and more))) than a 100k words in one 70chapter book (idk if it'll actually get that long). Three, the reason why is because it's more compact and less content heavy. Four, the first arc ended at the end of bk1. A whole new arc, with its own mini arcs, is beginning here, and just like you start a new paragraph/chapter with every new action/cliffhanger/whatevs, you start a new book at the end of every major arc.

Camadianblitz: old character. It was Todoroki from the end of bk1 remember? If I didn't explain it well enough, chapter one opened up about a month before the training camp. Then a week passed and the Woods moved in permenatly, then a little while longer (as izu needed to rest) then he went to the mall to meet Todo. Now jump a few days later and here we are. Sure, it may not fit perfectly into canon bit idc.

Mc arno: at this point, Izuku's wound has healed plenty more. He's stopped moping around, feeling sorry for himself and ignoring all common sense, and has started taking better care of it (and himself) to the point where it has mostly healed at this point.

A fan: Has Izu joined???? YOU SHALL SEE (assuming this chapter didn't completely give it away) However, you shall not see in the next chapter. One more (probably) after the next, and all will be made clear!

I believe that's all. Heads up again, next chapter is entirely fighting and violence, so be prepped for that. It also may take me a while to get it out, so 'Pologies in advance if that's so.

So long my Lovies!


	3. A Battle of Strength

Izuku rolled underneath Muscular's fist, swinging his blade and slicing the older man's side. The man roared, stumbling away. Izuku turned and slammed his heel into the side of the villain's face, knocking him into his side. The teen then leaped on top of Muscular, stabbing him through the shoulder.

Muscular screamed, but he quickly recovered. He grabbed Izuku by the arm and body slammed him over his head and into the stone floor behind. Stain's Apprentice gasped as all the air was forcefully removed from his lungs. Stars popped in his vision, his mind going blank for a moment. Muscular jumped atop of Izuku, muscle layers rippling across his arms and pushing Izuku into ground with increasing strength. Izuku pulled a knife free as he fought for breath, plunging the blade into the villain's arm and twisting. The man shouted, but refused to let up.

Tears were pouring out of Izuku's eyes, stress and pain catching up to him once again. "Any time would be great kid!" He grunted out, black spots appearing in his vision. He pulled his knife free and continued stabbing Muscular wherever her could.

Muscular leaned down, blood still pouring out his shoulder and other wounds, and looked down at Stain's Apprentice with an insane glee.

"You're becoming a real pain you know." He reached one hand off of Izuku's shoulders, roughly tearing off the boys mask. The metal tore, cutting Izuku underneath his eye. He screamed in pain, a hint of fear giving Muscular infinite pleasure.

Izuku's eyes cut to Muscular's own. His hand flew upwards, giving the villain a cut under the eye of his own. Muscular roard and jumped off of Izuku, clawing at his face. Izuku jumped to his own feet, hastily pulling out a healing cloth and, tearing it in half, pressed it against his cut tentatively.

Muscular huffed, holding a hand to his face. The blood from his cut poured out between his fingers, giving a bone chilling sight as the two faced each other. Izuku was still standing between the villain and Kota, refusing to allow harm to come to the boy.

"He trained you pretty well." Muscular admitted, smiling eerily. "But come on, you won't use your quirk on me?" He leaned forward, prepparing to rush his opponent. "I wanna know you're doing your best when I see you bleed to death!"

They rushed each other at the same time, Muscular reaching to grab Izuku, and Izuku flashing his blades to slice Muscular somewhere vital. The older man covered his neck with muscle layers, his infuriating quirk protecting him from Izuku's sword. He, however, managed to grab the child by his shoulder again, moving to throw him into the stone wall. Izuku's move to cut Muscular's throat wasn't his only move however. In the split second before he was flung with bone breaking force into the immovable stone wall, he thrust his other hand upwards, grinding a fistful of blinding powder into the man's face.

Izuku crashed, his head colliding with a painful crack. If it wasn't for his protective coat, his spinal cord and skull would have surely been severely damaged, not to mention his ribcage. Regardless, stars were blinking before his eyes and he was certain he had gained a concussion. Izuku knelt on the ground, breathing heavily, while Muscular stumbled about and screamed, clawing at his eyes.

"Progress kid?" He wearily asked of Kota, who was still cramped up in the tree.

"I - I am almost t-there!" He stuttered out. Kota wasn't completely sure why he was following the teen's wishes, but he followed them nonetheless.

Izuku reached into a pocket (he has a lot of pockets) pulling out a small container of pain killers, shaking two out onto his palm. Had it been three hours since the last ones he took? Eh, it didn't really matter much to him anymore. His kidneys were probably going to give up and die by the time he was 20 at this rate anyways. Izuku knew this was bad, and he was probably going to cause serious damage to himself sooner or later, but he tended not to care at moments like this. He threw his head back and swallowed the pills dry, facing his recovering opponent.

"For your information, my quirk is none of your buisness, so it shouldn't bother you whether or not I use it."

Muscular screamed, his misshapen eyes red and pouring out tears. He lunged at Izuku who increased the speed of his own flurried attacks. Almost as quickly as Muscular regrew muscle, Izuku sliced it off. Almost, being the key word. He was slowly losing ground. Muscular realized this, growing frenzied and increasing his muscle to the point where he was an individual lump of muscle with legs. Izuku was pushed backwards, his blades slicing into layers of muscle.

"I'M THERE!" Kota practically screeched as he ordered the drone to drop the mechanic Izuku had given him in an empty hallway.

Muscular looked upwards in surprise, giving Stain's Apprentice a momentary window of opportunity. He took it. He pulled his knife back out of the flesh, throwing it to the ground haphazardly and wrapping his hand around what he could of the villains neck. He charged a shocker disk on his palm to 100% of its power and blasted Muscular a short distance away. Izuku spun on his heel, grabbing and throwing a portal marble on the ground near the tree that Kota sat in. He spun right back around to fend off Muscular, but he was too late.

The man crashed on top of Izuku, pinning the boy to the ground with the sheer force of his mass. Izuku was barely able to put one hand up in time, gloves amplifying his strength to far past what was safe, and he was hardly able to keep the hulking man from crushing him. Izuku's sword was thrown out of his hand by the impact, clattering some distance away. His other hand scrabbled to the side, clawing for his dropped knife.

"GO!" He screamed as Muscular laughed and pressed harder. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?"

Kota hesitated.

"NEITHER OF YOU ARE GOING ANYWHERE!!!" Muscular bellowed, blood pooling around the two.

Izuku felt the tips of his fingers brush the handle of his knife. A hint of hope tingled through him. Perhaps he could get out of this alive still.

A faint splash, accompanied with a whimper, caused the older villain's attention to be dragged away from Izuku.

"H-hey. Get away from him." Kota stood at the base of the tree, looking terrified at the two combatants. Water dropped from his outstretched hands, the controller cast to the side. The portal's time limit reached its end, and dissipated with a fizzle.

"Oh," Izuku sighed, his hand now fully gripping the knife. "You foolish child." His gaze hardened once more, and he thrust his hand holding his long knife upwards.

The blade made its mark, sinking through the piles of muscle, and slicing the villain's heart and lung.

Muscular screamed in pure pain, throwing himself off of Izuku. Kota gasped and ran behind the tree, realizing how close he was to danger. Izuku stood slowly, catching his breath.

"Cover your ears, and don't look kid." He ordered, stepping calmly to his fallen sword. Muscular thrashed and screamed as Stain's Apprentice picked up his weapon.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" The older and weaker man screeched, trying to stand. "I SWEAR IT!"

Izuku stood over Muscular, pushing him down with one foot. He raised his sword, and his prey saw not an ounce of mercy in Izuku's eyes.

"You won't be killing anyone else."

Izuku swung his short sword downwards, and the body beneath his foot ceased it's movement after a few final twitches.

Izuku let out his breath in a desperate sigh of relief. He tilted his head upwards, letting his body relax. The adrenaline slowly drained out of his body, blood soaking into his coat.

With a relieved groan, he slid his coat off, folding it on the ground. His cloves came off next, revealing his red and swollen right arm, the damage trailing up to his elbow. He slowly wrapped his arm in healing bandages, standing over the body in only his form fitting under-suit and belt. He dragged the dead body's old cloak over and draped it over the form. He looked down.

"Good riddance."

Izuku turned and started walking towards where Kota was hiding behind the tree.

The boy was shaking, his eyes wide as he silently sobbed. Izuku didn't blame him. If proper actions wasn't taken, the boy would probably be heavily traumatized for life. Izuku knelt down in front of Kota.

"May I put my hand on your shoulder?" He asked, left hand outstretched, palm upwards. Kota looked confused, then slowly nodded. Izuku gently held the child, rubbing his shoulder with his thumb. "What's your name?"

Kota shuddered, prompting Izuku to move his other hand to hold the boy's cheek, wiping away tears with his other thumb. He shushed gently, doing his best to provide comfort.

"K-Kota"

Izuku smiled. "How old are you Kota?"

"Six."

Izuku nodded, looking kindly at the boy. "That was a very brave thing you did back there Kota. I appreciate it." Kota looked back with wide and scared eyes, still crying with shock. Izuku shifted his hands so he was holding both of Kota's shoulders now. He looked Kota in the eyes, in a benevolent seriousness. "Listen Kota. What all just happened, no child should have to go through that. When this is all over, promise me that you will go to whatever guardians you have, and get some form of trauma therapy, alright?"

Kota slowly nodded, his tears trickling to a stop. "O-ok."

Izuku smiled, casually dropping another marble.

Kota stumbled through with a small prompt from Izuku, and found himself in an empty hallway. He turned around and watched the portal collapse. It left behind a small frame which too collapsed into the same compact disk Stain's Apprentice had given Kota before the battle. Attatched to it was a small note.

'Please throw me away :)'

\- back at the cliff -

Izuku sighed once again, standing wearily. He walked over to where he had laid his gear, tying his coat around his waist after folding it so it wouldn't drag on the ground. He picked up his gloves, the right one sparking, and folded them into special pockets in his jacket. He wandered around, trying to find his mask, but it turned up fruitless. Muscular must have thrown it off of the cliff when he had ripped it off of Izuku's face.

Izuku shrugged, covering his mouth with the simple scarf that usually rested on his shoulders.

He turned, and headed into the forest to find who he was truly looking for.

He really wanted to have a talk with a certain villainous fire wielder.

A/N

And another longish update, and another longish chapter. How'd y'all like that huh? Even though it took it's sweet time in getting written, this chapter had me excited as we get to see the truly darker side of Izuku. Yes he can show mercy, friendship, and even love, but he is still a cold blooded killer following another cold blooded killer without question. He really is a mini Stain, and I love him for that.

Also, Sombratheweeb. This is technically for you, but I'm going to put it out there as a general disclaimer since there seems to be confusion over this.

If you haven't read chapter 21 of Cruel Irony, or read Cruel Irony altogether, go do so. Technically you could read this here w/out doing so, but you're going to be pretty flipping confused. In chapter 21, which takes place a week before these events at the camp, Izuku goes to the mall and meets Shoto Todoroki. Shoto learns about Izu's wound and helps take care of it. Chapter one here of Cruel Fate, takes place two weeks before that, when Izu's would is still fresh and just beginning to grow infected. By the end of chapter 1, the meeting at the mall has happened, and now by chapters 2 and 3, Izu's wound has almost completely healed.

Got that? Good, as that's the last time in explaining it.

Canadianblitz, thank you for pointing that out to me. What happened was that as Izu turned to move Kota out of harms way, Muscular tried to pull a surprise attack on izu. Izu knew this was coming of course, and defended himself by attacking in return. I went back and added that in the chapter, and also fixed manor to manner as you said.

Frozenshadow56, *holds chest and cries* thank you! Seriously though, I am over the moon that you like this so much, and I'm glad I've made my intentions with Izuku and everything so clear. And I will take hugs any day!

Hoped that has cleared everything up my dears. Thank you for all of your lovely comments and support. You guys make my day :D

So long my wonderful Lovies!


	4. An Explanation Of Heroism

To say Uraraka was struggling, would be an understatement. She had barely passed the final exams at school, and had been working herself to her grave and back this week during the camp training. Now, after having gone in this stupid forest to be 'tested', she had gotten separated from Tsu and was now horribly lost. To top things off, smoke was lingering lazily in the air and this strange pink gas that made her feel light headed kept popping up.

As her consciousness and oxygen levels lowered, her rational thought started slipping. She was stumbling slightly now, calling out for Tsu, or any of her friends. She coughed, her vision blurring. Dark spots appeared in the corners of her vision, and a strange feeling of calm swept over her. She tripped on her own feet, her eyes closing, and started to fall forward.

A pair of strong arms caught her. The one who caught her was wearing long black sleeves, and was seriously well built. Her delirious mind leapt at the hope that Bakugo had come to her rescue. Her rescuer lifted her up with ease, placing a cloth over her mouth and moving her hand to hold it in place while he started carrying her away bridal style. A quick, albeit blurry, glance told her that her saviour was not Bakugo.

He was just as well built as the explosive teen, but this teen was in a form fitting long sleeved shirt, wearing a ski mask, and a very recognisable pair of goggles. A look to the cloth she was holding informed her that she recognised it as well, though her muddled mind didn't allow her to place a name or face to the feeling.

Soon, much against her will, her vision grew much darker and she passed out.

Izuku felt Uraraka grow limp in his arms as he reached a clearing free of smoke. He set her down on the ground, kneeling by her and supporting her. He quickly checked her breathing and heart rate. Both were acceptable, so she had simply passed out from temporary lack of oxygen and stress. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

As soon as he was finished taking back and putting his scarf on around his face, Uraraka started to stir, her eyes fluttering open. Her vision focused on her rescuer, and suddenly she knew who he was.

It was Stain's Apprentice who was picking her up once again and looking down at her.

Her eyes widened.

"Welcome back." He greeted in a cheery time. "You gave me quite the scare back there."

"H-huh?!" She tried to move her heavy limbs, but they wouldn't listen to her and his grip around her tightened fractionally at her squirming.

"Hey now, no need for that. I wouldn't want to drop you." His drew his eyes away from her, looking back to the path ahead. "You have nothing to fear from me, I only have a few questions to ask you, Uraraka."

She looked up at him, confused. How did he know her name? "What do I know that could be of use to you?"

Izuku frowned behind his scarf at the message her tone implied. "Hey now, don't belittle yourself like that. Besides, I believe that you know more than you think you do."

Her eyebrows rose at the kind voice he was using with her. Last time they had met, his voice was dark and full of rage. Now, he just seemed like a regular teenage boy, chatting with an old friend. He, of course, was, but she didn't realize that. "I don't even want to ask anything big, just curious about why you want to be a hero. You seem extremely adamant about it."

He wasn't lying. Months back, when he had sat around a table with class 1A, Uraraka was one of the few who didn't tell him as to why she wanted to be a hero. With her performance at the Sports Festival, his curiosity had only grown.

She shifted, looking guilty. "Well, to boil it down simply, it is to help others, and money." Uraraka found she couldn't avoid the question, and so answered it a truthfully as she could.

His brisk walk slowed to a more casual stroll as he looked down at her again. "Oh? All that passion and determination in the Festival, wasted for money?" His voice was perfectly neutral, inadvertantly sounding condescending, but for some reason, Uraraka felt that he was more disappointed than anything else.

She shook her head, waving her hands quickly. "It's - it's not like that! I don't want the money for me. It's for my parents, to give them an easier life."

Izuku cast a glance to Uraraka, intrigued. With a simple 'go on' she quickly summarized why she wanted to be a hero so badly. For money yes, but at the root of that was to help others, her family and friends specifically. Money fell by the wayside when it came to human life and happiness. Izuku was pleased to hear this from her. In a way, she wasn't all to different from him. Both got what they wanted by unconventional and less than honorable methods in each other's eyes. Him, by murdering and maiming to change society to a better state. Her, by using a title for money to help her family.

They reached a clearing, crossing paths with three of her classmates; Tsuyu, Shoji, and Tokoyami. The three instantly moved to attack, but held back as Izuku slowly moved to set Uraraka down. He stood once more, holding his hands up placatingly.

"I'm not here for a fight. You may have her, and I will leave."

Before any could argue, he turned around and started walking away. As his foot reached the edge of the clearing, he vanished completely from sight. He went off to find who he was truly looking for, no more distractions, and he left four very confused students in his wake.

A/N

Heylo my dear readers! Not much really to say here except sorry this chapter is so short and rushed and thank you for the kind comments again. You guys make my day.

Sombratheweeb, glad that cleared everything up! I'm sorry if my jumping back and forth in time cam be confusing.

Well anyway, who wants to guess who izu is looking for, and why he wants to meet that person so badly?

So long my lovies!


	5. A Budding Partnership

"Yo Dabi, did you hear the radio? I'm so pumped up! Our boy Compress did the job so quickly!"

Dabi strolled along, half heartedly listening to his companion switch from praise to criticism. In the short time since he had joined the league, he had grown accustomed to the antics of the other members of the Vanguard Action Squad. The two reached a clearing, coming to a stop and looking about for any of the other members.

"Hey, shouldn't you call that thing back?" Twice asked, tilting his head and pointing to Dabi curiously.

"Oh yeah, I forgot Shigaraki made it obey only my voice." The fire welding teen turned his back on his comrade, calling out for his own pet monster. A gasp and choke from behind Dabi made him whirl about, flames spreading along his arms. For one second, he couldn't spot Twice. Then Dabi saw him, lying still and unconscious on the forest floor. "Twice!" He knelt down next to his partner, hands hovering awkwardly over the other man's chest.

Dabi froze, feeling something cold and sharp rest lightly on his back. "You know, it's not generally seen as smart to allow your back to be exposed when there is an unseen assailant about." There was a light chuckle behind him, the sword point moving slightly with the other's laugh. "Luckily for you, and your teammate, I don't mean either of you harm." The tip of the weapon was suddenly removed, leaving a cold spot behind.

Dabi snapped around, hand lit with flame. To his surprise however, there didn't seem to be anyone there. He breathed heavily, gathering his wits about himself. "What exactly did you do to him?" He asked thin air.

There was another chuckle to his right, causing him to turn. Where the voice was, there still wasn't a soul in sight. Regardless, he threw a handful of flames where the voice was originating from. "Just sleeping gas." Dabi's eyes widened as the flames stuck to the outline of a figure before him. Though invisible, the fellow teen was not immune to fire. "I don't want any eavesdropping on our conversation." The flames spread all along his body, but he didn't seem fazed by the danger in the slightest. The figure grabbed the folds of his coat, giving the fabric a sharp shake. The flames were snuffed out in an instant, returning the boy to his previous invisible state, before his image fizzled into view. The other's hand fell away from a strange dial on his belt and rested on the handle of his short sword. He reached up with his other hand to pull off his still smoking scarf, shoving the cloth into a pocket and smiling at the fiery teen in front of him.

"I've been wanting to have a chat with you," Stain's Apprentice said cheerfully "and from what I've heard, you've been wanting a chat with me as well."

Dabi's throat went dry. He had been wanting a talk, but he hadn't expected it to be in such a circumstance as this. Stain's Apprentice, who Dabi had been trying to meet for two weeks, had taken the initiative to come and seek out Dabi personally.

But why? Had Shigaraki sent him? For what purpose? And why was he covered in blood? The viscous substance had started to burn when Dabi had doused Izuku in flames and now a disgusting smell filled the clearing. Dabi had to resist the urge to throw up.

Izuku, noticing the others discomfort, reached into yet another pocket, pulling out a small marble. He threw it onto the forest floor, a small pink cloud of gas expanding out from the source of impact. The scent of pine needles quickly worked to nullify the smell of burnt blood.

"Sorry about the smell. A fight got a little violent, and I wasn't counting on you setting me on fire."

Dabi stood, shifting slightly. "Sorry, but why are you here? Did Shigaraki send you, cuz he didn't tell me if he did."

Izuku smirked, folding his arms and placing his weight on one leg. "No, I came of my own accord. Your boss has no influence on my actions."

Dabi frowned, scrunching up his face. "Don't you mean, our boss?"

Izuku's smile grew slightly. "Nope. I haven't worked a day under him." He watched as Dabi's eyes grew wide as he finally understood what Izuku was saying. "I'm afraid Dear Tomura has pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, including your own."

Dabi grimaced, bile rising in his throat at the deception. "I'll kill him."

Izuku shrugged. "Maybe you should, maybe not."

"Why not?"

Izuku walked forward, standing closer to Dabi. "I assume you realize why it is I went through all this trouble to find you?"

Dabi slowly nodded. "To recruit me?"

"Indeed, and what circumstance would that leave you in, should you accept?"

Dabi mulled the question over. "I'd be learning from you and," he smiled and nodded "be working with the League, able to feed you information." He smirked at Izuku. The appeal of the betrayal was too sweet for Dabi to refuse.

Izuku grinned right back. "Exactly. You get hands on experience with the Cause you've chosen to mold your ideals after, and I get first person inforamation on the League, for a while at any rate."

Dabi raised an eyebrow at that last add on, but chose not to question it. "So, you'd have me stay with the League?"

"Ultimately, it is your desicion, but yes. It would seem to be the more beneficial choice."

"I accept."

Izuku clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! One last thing. Your comrade, Spinner. The other fanatic." Dabi tilted his head to the side, both eyebrows raised. "Would you think that he could be trusted with this?"

Dabi frowned, looking to the side and thinking. Spinner was more than enthusiastic about the Cause. But they still all knew so little about each other, that it was hard to place a verdict on him or not.

"I am unsure."

Izuku shrugged, unfazed. "Well, make a desicion soon, and meet me." He handed Dabi a slip of paper, then stepped back and stretched, turning away. "Well, one last stop to make."

Dabi lifted his gaze from the paper. "Where are you off to now?"

Izuku grinned. "I need to find one of the students. The little Todoroki prodigy and I have an unfinished conversation that I would like to finish."

Dabi's eyebrows knit together. "What could you two possibly have to talk about?"

Izuku's grin turned to one filled with crazed malice. "Oh, his dear old dad of course! My little speech in Hosu wasn't simply for publicity you know."

Dabi grinned right back, his malice equaling that of his younger companion. "If it's dirt on Endeavor you're looking for, I have just as much, if not more than poor little Shoto. And I want a hand in bringing him crashing down in the most humiliating way possible."

"Do you want him alive or dead when we're done?"

Dabi shrugged. "Preferrbaly alive, but I'd settle for dead happily enough."

Izuku turned back, smiling in anticipation. "Well then. I guess we'll be in touch soon, Dabi."

Izuku flicked a marble on the ground, steeping through, leaving not a trace behind. Dabi wasn't given a spare moment, for as soon as the portal fizzled out, the clearing was filled with people. Nomu returned, along with a triumphant Compress and Toga. Twice woke up before they arrived, with no memory of passing out. Unknown to them, a previously sleeping Aoyama woke as well, hiding behind the bushes in fear.

"Did'j'you get him?" Dabi asked, as if nothing had happened.

Compress wiggled a shiny blue marble around in his fingers. "Of course. Have I ever failed before?"

\- Later -

Ochako sat in the hospital bed, facing the kind policeman, thinking about her ordeal.

Her best friend, kidnapped. Several other friends, hurt. And him. She was furious at Stain's Apprentice. He worked to save Shoto, that kid Kota, and her, yet didn't lift a finger to help Katsuki. Surely it wasn't because of his anger. Katsuki had softened rather drastically what with the weight of Hosu and his missing friend. It was because of his character change that they had been able to work together to barely manage to pull a victory against All Might in their final exams.

She gripped her shorts, making fists in the material.

"Do you remember what all Stain's Apprentice looked like?" The policeman didn't even seem to care about the psychopathic girl she and the others had come across in the woods. Everything was about Stain's Apprentice.

She bit her lip, shoving her injustices aside. "It was dark, so I couldn't really tell, but, his eyes were green, I think. He was very well built, clearly he spends a lot of time training, and he seemed overall, kind've cheery? Not that that makes any sense."

The policeman nodded. "Any show of his quirk?"

Uraraka shook her head sadly. "Not that I could see. Perhaps, enhanced strength of intelligence?"

"Possibly." He made a quick note. "Anything else?" Uraraka shifted uncomfortably, biting her lip again and averting her gaze. "If there's anything else Mrs. Uraraka, please, don't hold it back, no matter how silly it may seem."

"Well, it's just," she started fiddling with her hair, unsure of how to explain her predicament. "It is silly, but, he felt, it was like I know him." She spread her hands out, gesturing vaguely as she stuttered. "It wasn't obvious who he was, but the way he acted and talked and also how curious he was about why I wanted to be a hero-" Her voice trailed off slightly, awkwardly. Talking about heroism is strange. "I don't know really. He just seemed familiar." She tried to convince herself that it was simply because she had met him before, at Hosu, but something told her that wasn't the truth. But the truth was ugly, and she didn't want to face it.

The policeman nodded once again. "Your classmates who have also met him have said similar things about him." He stood and left with barely another word aside from a formal goodbye.

When Uraraka thought back to Katsuki, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. When Kirishima came to her later that day, proposing his risky and foolish plan, she agreed with barely any hesitation. They both needed Katsuki back.

A/N

Again, long update. Sorry friends, the beginning wasn't wanting to be written, but I pulled through as always. And yes, like all of you figured out, it was indeed Dabi. I was kind've expecting you'd all guess that, I was rather blunt with it. Hope I happily surprised you with Spinner though.

And before you all go crazy in the comments, we'll see why Izu didn't save Baku in the next chapter. Don't worry, I've got this.

Speaking of having things, Darcry, buddy, I thought we settled this. I have a time, place, and plotline for the reveal. And, trust me, it WILL happen. It will happen later in the book, at the last battle to be specific. Are his friends figuring it out? Of course! They may be trying to ignore the truth (as we saw with Uraraka) but it's coming to them all the same. Will Dabi and Spinner know? Of course! How can they become best buds if he never shows them his face? Sadly, it will not be a funny scene with Aithusa. This a rather more serious story than what I've done before, and thus it shall be a serious event. I am still working on oneshots for your ideas though, worry not.

And to those of you wondering, yeah. Dabs is totally a Todoroki in my world.

Also, Pedropedrin. I'll admit, I had chosen the circumstances to play out differently, a love triangle could have been very possible. I may have to write a oneshot for that. (In fact I have a few little oneshot ideas for this au) However, that will not be the case here in my canon story. You see, Izuku holds no romantic interests through out the whole story (though I am debating putting one at the end (It wouldn't effect the actual plot at all (and I'm not telling you who)) but that's still up for debate) and Uraraka is with Bakugo 24/7 what with them being classmates and all. Baku and Izu will be nothing more than best friends.

I think that's all dears! Thank you once again for the comments, and if I may, I have a request. In one of the other fanfics I read, The Annalytical Vigilante, the author, Ash Sayin, is going through a rough time right now. If y'all don't mind, it'd mean a lot to me if you read that story if you haven't already, and leave a nice word for Ash. As a fellow writer, and from general experience, I know a kind word can do a lot for someone, and it seems Ash is in need of that right now. That's all I have to ask of you guys.

So long Lovies!


	6. Cooperation

Izuku ran along the rooftops, unnoticed and silent as any good assassin should be. Traffic passed noisily below him as he leapt and landed. But, despite his silent actions, he was in a flurry of anger.

Somehow, by some cruel twist by the gods, he had been entirely unaware of the league's intent for Kacchan. If he had stayed thirty seconds later, then maybe, he could have done something to avoid this. But no. He became buddy buddies with one of their own fanatics, and let Kacchan be kidnapped right behind his back.

Izuku stopped on a rooftop, breathing deeply.

He needed a bullet train, or even just a bus, to reach Kacchan in time. He had no fear that the explosive teen would switch sides, but Izuku needed to make sure that he wasn't hurt.

He looked down, deciding where would be the best place to hide in order to change, when a peculiar trio caught his eye. He sighed loudly. This was the last thing he needed right now. They had stopped as well, gazing up at him with obvious expressions of shock. He rolled his eyes, stretching his hand forth and activating his grappling hook. It sped across the road, lodging in the front of a brick building.

He was pulled across the gap in a blur. Izuku swung, alighting on the side facing the trio. He clung to the wall with ease, pulling his grappling hook back and having it attach to his side of the wall. He looked to the trio, already moving to his alleyway, and slowly descended behind the roof. He rested gently on a air-conditioner, watching the three file in lime sheep. He jumped and landed silently behind them.

"Boo." He chuckled at their panicked yelps as they spun around. His laughter faded, and he grew serious once again. "Don't tell me you three are doing what I think you're doing."

Iida stood protectively in front of Kirishima and Uraraka, a challenging look in his eyes. Uraraka at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed of herself as Iida spoke up for them. "They are here to rescue Bakugo, yes." He had his arms spread out wide, crouching in a manner that suggested his readiness for combat.

Izuku couldn't resist another laugh. "THEY are? What are you doing then? Enjoying a drink on the beach?" Iida growled, his engines firing up. Izuku wagged a long and delicate finger. "Uh-uh. No quirks in public, not even if threatened." He leaned forward slightly, his tone making it obvious that he was smiling. "And I haven't even threatened you."

Oh, Iida's face was priceless. Izuku chuckled again as the other teen slowly returned to a neutral standing position.

"Oh, stop toying with us!" Uraraka sighed, pushing past Iida to stand at his side. "Yes, we've come for Katsuki, who you didn't lift a finger to help!"

Izuku's laughter cut off instantly, his grim demeanor returning. "Would you believe me if I said I was genuinely unaware of their intentions for Bakugo?"

"No." The three chorused the single word, looking defiantly at Izuku.

"You knew they were coming, yet you didn't learn why?" Kirishima accused, angrily stepping forward. Iida grabbed him by the arm as an attempt to restrain his friend, but the damage was done. The accusation cut deep in Izuku. He had made a mistake, and this was the consequence, and he honestly hated himself even more for it.

"You're right." He admitted in a defeated tone. "I came, and was oblivious of their true intentions, and Ka-suki paid the price." Izuku nearly called Bakugo by his nickname of Kacchan, which would have surely given his identity away. He recovered, and looked each of the three in the eye in turn. "Which is why, I am here, honestly trying to fix my mistake."

"How do we know that you aren't simply leading us into a trap?" Iida lashed oit, refusing to give even an inch to the murderer before him.

Izuku sighed, shoulders slumping. "Oh, you all. What do I have to do to make it clear I do not mean any harm to you guys?" He stared Iida in the eye, gaze like iron. "If I meant to let you die, would I have gone through all that trouble to save Todoroki, Uraraka, and yourself Iida?" He smirked at Iida's shocked expressions. "What, who did you think it was that made Master promise that we would spare hero students should we encounter any?"

There was a long, tense moment. No one moved, a silent battle of will and logic playing out.

At last, Iida relented. "Very well, but I will have my eye on you, Killer."

Izuku shrugged, a nonchalant image. "Fair enough. If we're to be working together, then I suppose we better get moving." He slung his duffle bag off over his shoulder, unzipping it to reveal normal 'civvy' clothes. "We'll have to start by looking the part." He crouched down, making sure his face was hidden by the darkness and his hood, and quickly pulled off his ski mask and goggles. He hadn't had the time yet to rebuild his mask yet, as he had woken up and immediately started planning and traveling once he knew that Kacchan had been taken.

"Look the part?" Kirishima asked, confused, as Izuku pulled his beanie over his hair and slipped on a cold mask.

Izuku shot a glance upward, not that they could tell, and gestured to them. "Well, yes. You guys are basically minor celebrities. You may not get quite as hounded by the media anymore, but with a kidnapped student, people are bound to recognise you three."

Izuku slipped on his yellow iris contacts with out notice, standing up and throwing back his hood. In quick movements, he pulled on a pair of jeans, cut off at the knees, over his under suit, threw off his protective coat, and donned a sweater. He ruffled through the pockets of his coat, picking out only the bare essentials, which he hid in various places, and folded the rest in his bag. He turned back to the trio, sliding his bag over his shoulder. He unfolded a pair of simple glasses, slipping them on and turning out of the alleyway.

"C'mon. His time is running out."

Soon, after more than a little Yen spent, the four were walking briskly towards the train station. The trio were now just as casually decked out as Izuku was. Kirishima was wearing a white tank top underneath a blue gray jacket and long jeans. He too had a blue beanie shoved over his incredibly spiky red hair. Iida was dressed sensibly in black jeans and a muted red sweater. Uraraka was the best well dressed of them all. Izuku had given her a pink, sleeveless blouse and a knee length black skirt to wear over simple grey leggings. He'd had the sense to give her a grey leather jacket as well, giving her a shockingly stylish look. She had also donned a pair of sunglasses, long, clip on earrings, and a light pink lipstick.

She kept blushing too, as she hadn't had the money to buy it all, and Izuku, despite a fair amount of fake grumbling, had paid for it all himself. It really didn't matter much to him, his pantry was slightly more full than before and he didn't have anything else to spend it on, but she felt so guilty over it that she had bought him a chocolate bar. It had made him laugh, but he pocketed it for later nonetheless.

They finally reached the bullet train, where, luckily enough, they were able to board immediately. Iida and Uraraka sat in one row, and Kirishima and Izuku sat in front of them, Kirishima and Uraraka both having the window seat. Izuku slid down in his chair, slipping his glasses off and pulling his beanie down over his eyes.

"Wake me up when we get there."

The three glanced at each other, unsure of what to do with his nonchalant attitude. They all sat in silence through the very awkward ride. Each, aside from sleeping Izuku, were straining their minds over the possibilities, worrying over fears and the troublesome imagination.

The ride seemed to last far too long with their anxiety eating at them. At last, when they did arrive, Izuku woke up on his own, sitting forward with a sleepy inhale.

"Oh. We're here." He stood and stretched, popping his back. "I have great timing." His sarcasm didn't go unnoticed as they all filed out of the train, stepping forward to find a friend.

A/N

Sorry every body, but this is merely a filler chapter. *shrug* We've been having like, nothing but action for almost all of the book so far, so I think you'll be fine.

Also, Canadianblitz, don't say that you're a bad guesser! You may have guessed incorrectly, but they were still cool ideas. While I can't think of a reason why he'd go and meet Aizawa, keep in mind that he was originally planning on finding Shoto again, but was deterred by Dabi, and he'd have multiple reasons to find Baku, main being to see if he's made any character changes.

And, s082829, thank you for the reminder, but worry not! I've made it my business to watch many Dabi/Todoroki vids, and I know all the deets! Or at least, most of them. To be sure though, I will refresh myself on them to help get my thoughts in order.

Robotdocter, I gotta say, that was actually pretty funny. I just got a random pm, explaining something I had no context for, then two seconds later, what you were actually trying to explain pops up. I'm glad the chapter posted properly afterwards, but congrats. You made me inadvertently laugh.

I do believe that is all. Farewell my lovies!


	7. Rescue Mission

Steeping off of the train and into the brisk night air, the four made quick work of walking to the Nomu factory. No stops, no detours. Briskly walking alone. Soon, they ducked into another alleyway, this one thinner than others which made movement difficult. Iida supported Kirishima on his shoulders, Izuku holding tightly to the walls. Uraraka hugged herself as the two looked in a grimy window.

"What do you see in there?" Iida grunted, Kirishima's tennis shoes digging into his skin.

Kirishima didn't answer at first, peering through a pair of night vision goggles. Izuku raised an eyebrow at the expensive looking goggles, but chose not to comment.

"Its, uh, really dark," Kirishima muttered "and, wait, what?" He leaned forward sharply, mouth dropping open.

Behind his mask, Izuku was clenching his jaw tightly. This was yet another thing he should have known. Was he nothing but a failure without his master?

"What? What is it?" Uraraka questioned, worried.

"Monsters?" Kirishima looked to Izuku, confusion etched on his face. "What-?"

"Nomu." The word was bitter in Izuku's mouth as he answered the unfinished question. "Genetically mutated humans. Little to no brain functions, having only enough to live and obey commands." He pulled off a side of his mask, the side facing away from the others, and spat with contempt. "Disgusting."

Kirishima looked back to the window, horrified. "They've done this to people?"

"Yes, I'm afraid." He slammed his head into the palm of his hand. "Gah, I'm an idiot. I should've realized that they would keep the Nomu separated from the actual hideout."

"You're saying that Bakugo isn't here?" Iida questioned, urgent.

Izuku looked back, looking skeptical. "It's highly unlikely that they would-"

Time seemed to slow for Izuku. Survivalist senses, ingrained into him by many jump scares and much training from Stain, flared in his mind. All thought was lost in the static of avoiding danger, as he moved before his mind could catch up with his body. He reached for unaware Kirishima, a shadow passing over them.

They tumbled into each other, crashing to the floor as Izuku yelled. As they hit the ground, Mt. Lady's enormous foot crashed into the Nomu facility. Dust filled the air, the other three choking.

Izuku stood immediately, his mask allowing him to breathe properly. Scowling up at the pro, he bent down, giving Uraraka his hand and slinging her arm over his shoulders. With a little prompting in the form of his booted foot kicking their legs, Izuku got the other two standing as well. They shuffled down the alley way, wobbling and finally sitting down farther away from the pros.

Shouts came from the other end, the sounds of the pros searching the building. Izuku cast a very angry glare in their general direction as he handed the three an unopened water bottle to clear their throats.

"What if there were civilains in that building? Does anyone care about that? No, let's just all stare at her butt." Contempt filled his voice as he gave a little twitch. The urge to enact his justice grew, and he had to restrain himself from running over and taking the pros all on. He had few weapons, no plan or intel, and there sounded to be around ten or more pros on the other side.

He turned back to his friends, keeping his bloodlust under control. He was about to ask if they were alright, when the shouts from behind grew alarmed. Mt. Lady bent down, asking about a civilian.

There was a moment's silence, cold, dead fear filling Izuku's very being. He innately knew something was very, very wrong, as a familiar sense of evil overwhelmed him. He once again moved without conscious command to stand in front of his friends, to shield them, but he was too late, and he wouldn't have been able to do anything regardless.

A monumentous explosion shook the whole city, confusion and debris causing the next few moments to be a blur. The four all came to their senses at the same time, their blood curdling at the horrible voice that rang, clear as a bell, over the ruined area. Izuku was the only one to have the will to move. He already knew that voice.

He crouched down at the ruin's entrance, looking out at the vast destruction before him.

All For One, levitating like a fallen angel, killing Best Jeanist in one simple move, preaching the whole time. Izuku twitched again, his hand itching towards his hidden short sword. He hated the man before him with every ounce of his being for, when they had met face to face, All For One had tried to bribe him over with what he had always wanted; A quirk. Perhaps, if he had simply offered aid and shelter in return for a few killings, there might have been a chance Izuku would have accepted. But to be so high and mighty as to assume he could be swayed by power-

His sword was in his hand and he was gripping it untill his knuckles were white. Images of death flashed in his mind. All For One's, the Leagues', his friends', Stain's, his mother's, his own. Each of them, dismembered and coated in blood. He was unsure if he was seeing this because of bloodlust, or by the man's presence. Surely by both. He tried to lick his lips, his tongue pushing against his cold mask. His breathing grew heavy, his mind filling with the need to kill the man standing before him.

His legs started moving, and he began to stand.

He only got a centimeter high, before a new sight snapped him back to reality. Portals of viscous black goop, spurting forth from nothing, depositing Kacchan and the league before the feet of All For One as Izuku quickly squatted back down. All For One quickly charged Shigaraki with the order of keeping his 'prize' of Kacchan, before turning, and addressing someone who was not yet there.

To Izuku's relief, All Might blasted his way onto the battlefield, instantly going toe to toe with All For One. As he did, all hell broke loose in the ruins.

Bakugo almost immediately went into combat against all the standing members of the League, wind blasts from the two battling legends continually disrupting the battlefield.

Izuku shook his head, turning back to his three terrified friends.

"We have to help."

"Help?!" Uraraka squeaked. "We're not allowed to use our quirks in combat. And even if we did, they'll kill us!" She knew that she sounded like a coward, and perhaps deep down inside she may have been at that moment, but that man fighting All Might terrified her out of her mind.

"I didn't say we'd fight them, but if we don't do something, they'll do worse to him!" The image of Bakugo be twisted and deformed into one of those Nomu was unbearable to Izuku, and he moved so he was crouching in front of Uraraka. He grabbed one of her hands, making her look him in the eye. "You said, at your core, you truly wanted to help and save others." He leaned forward slightly. "Then prove it to me."

She snapped back to reality, shaking her head. The harshly spoken words cut through her fear, allowing her sense of heroinism to return in enough strength for her to look him back in the eye and nod with determination.

"What do we do?"

Izuku looked around, gauging their differing quirks and his tech, formulating a plan. He started muttering, his intellect causing his mouth to run a mile a minute.

"First off, we'll need to use Kirishima's quirk to break through the wall. Iida and I would have to both launch us all over and away from the battle, but our combined weights would pull us down. Uraraka could use her quirk on all of us, carrying us four far above the field. We'd need to aim the direction right or else he might not be able to reach us. We'll have Kirishima call to him to come, and once at a good distance away, Uraraka will drop her quirk effect. All Might and All For One will be too busy keeping each other occupied that neither will be able to assist or harm our effort. Once we're falling, I'll use my hook to help reduce our momentum, and Kirishima and I will support most of the landing. It may be a bit rough, but no one should get any serious injuries."

He started, looking up to see the confused faces of his friends. He gave an awkward cough. "Uhm. Yeah, that's it." They stared, making him shift uncomfortably. "Please stop staring, I know it's weird."

Kirishima drew his mouth into a line. That muttering, seemed all too familiar. And how did he know their strengths, weaknesses, and relationships so well? The more he was around the killer, the more Kirshima felt like he knew him.

Iida was the first to snap out of it, shuffling over and crouching next to Izuku. He waved Kirishima and Uraraka over as she moved to activate her quirk on them all, using it on herself last. Uraraka clung to Izuku, leaving his right arm free, while he and Iida in turn held onto Kirishima. They braced themselves against the wall. Iida started firing up his engines and Izuku began powering up his boots to as high as he could while still withholding enough damage so he could help land them later.

"Three." Izuku counted, sweating from stress. "Two." He checked to make sure Uraraka was secrure. "One!"

They jumped, Kirishima punching through the remains of the brick wall with ease. They soared, far above the wreckage, all eyes turning to them. Midway over the field, Kirishima turned, offering his hand and screaming for Bakugo to come. Izuku cast a glance behind, and took a spare millisecond to enjoy the enormous explosion that Kacchan created.

'His new power really is something to be feared isn't it?' He thought idly while Bakugo held onto Kirishima's hand for dear life. 'Kacchan will make a fine hero someday. Worthy of respect.'

"YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING?!" Bakugo yelled, genuinely grinning with an almost insane glee, before his eyes fell on Stain's Apprentice.

For a split second, in the dark and fueled by adrenaline, he saw Izuku in his yellow eyes as the fake glasses were whipped off of his face. A small fluff of dark hair poked out from the lip of the green beanie.

But no. In no way or capacity. Izuku had green eyes, not yellow, and there was no way little Deku could be someone like this, even if he could fight. Izuku was still nerdy Izuku, and always would be. Kacchan wouldn't be surprised if he found Izuku surrounded by hundreds of little mechanical dragons one day.

There was simply no way for Izuku to have fallen so low.

He was too good.

Stains Apprentice looked away, and Bakugo looked back to his new best friend. "Hey! Why's he here?" He jerked his head to Izuku, his grin fading.

"He's half the reason we're here! We ran into each other! Tell you later!" Kirishima shouted over the wind as Izuku slowly reached his right arm out.

"Release Uraraka!" Izuku yelled, the hook speeding away. Uraraka struggled to bring her hands together as Bakugo cut his gaze to her, not having noticed she was there previously. "NOW!" Izuku shouted urgently as the hook latched to something and pulled them away at a faster rate.

Her finger tips met and they began to plummet. As they neared the edge of a roof, the grappling hook pulled them right back up, placing all of the force on Izuku's arm.

He screamed in pain as his shoulder violently dislocated and he released the grappling hook as his limb went limp. He and Kirishima landed heavily on the roof of the building, indeed absorbing most of the impact with his hardening and Izuku's boots. Pain flared up through his legs at the rough landing and Izuku unashamedly fell over backwards with a groan.

Iida caught him, lowering him gently to the ground while Uraraka and Kirishima pounced on Bakugo. Once he had hugged Bakugo, nearly squeezing the life out of him, Kirshima followed it up by punching him full in the face.

"Ow man, what the heck?!"

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

Bakugo looked blankly at Kirishima, mouth hanging open. "Get kidnapped? How is that my fault?!"

Uraraka decided to do things differently from Kirishima. She did this by first punching Bakugo on the shoulder, lighter than Kirishima did, and then threw herself at him, crying. Bakugo's hands stuck out awkwardly, unaccustomed to having a very prettily dressed girl, with dust and rubble on her clothes and in her hair, hugging him and crying into his shoulder that she just punched. Kirishima saved him by hugging them both, locking the two in his grasp.

While this heartfelt scene was happening, Izuku was having to deal with relocating his own dang shoulder and wrapping his aching legs.

He shoved a handful of his sweater into his mouth with his left hand, before painfully jerking his right shoulder back into place. The sweater muffled his grunt of pain, and he slumped back against Iida again, stars popping in his vision.

"Are you alright?" Iida asked, at a loss of what else to do.

Izuku rolled his eyes. "Oh yes. I relocate shoulders and nearly break my legs on a daily basis. I feel like going out and doing something productive." His sarcasm was palpable, causing Iida to frown once again. The other teen stood up, leaving Izuku to slump against the floor with a whine, as he went to check on Bakugo. Izuku, ignoring his discomfort, pulled himself up into a sitting position. As he reached for his boots to survey the damage to his legs, a familiar hand reached down and made a fist in his shirt.

Izuku sighed, not even fighting as Bakugo pulled him up to eye level. He hung limply in Kacchan's hands.

"Now. Why exactly are you here?" Bakugo questioned. Izuku remained silent, blinking in a bored manner at his former bully. "Not talking anymore?" Katsuki growled, suppressing memories of times when he pulled this exact same move on Izuku in middle school.

Faster than the eye could blink, Izuku lifted his left hand and slapped Bakugo flat across the face. He gasped and spluttered, dropping Izuku and stumbling backwards while holding his face. Izuku braced himself against a small ledge, sitting down as he was finally allowed to pull off his boot.

"What the heck?!" Bakugo shouted for the second time in five minutes.

Izuku shrugged nonchalantly, wrapping his red and slightly swollen legs. "What? Everyone else was hitting you. I wanted to join in on the fun." He looked up, smiling behind his mask. "And hey, I dislocated my arm and nearly broke my legs over you, so I consider this less than fair recompense."

Bakugo growled, but didn't say anymore.

Summoning up his dignity, and swallowing his pride, Iida walked over to the two, his face stoic. He snapped over, bent at a horizontal angle as he bowed formally to Izuku.

"It seems you were honest in your statement of not wishing harm to any of us." He began, clearly having to force the words out. "I feel I owe you both my thanks and," he grit his teeth "my apologies, even though I cannot help but feel that there is a debt to be paid now."

Izuku was taken aback. Iida was formal and insistent on rules, Izuku knew, but for something such as this to be directed at him? The one who had attacked the other's older brother and left him crippled for life? Izuku truly didn't know how to respond.

"Look, Iida, may I be frank with you?" The other teen looked up at Izuku skeptically. "In all honesty, I don't actually know how answer something so formal. Would just a simple 'I accept' be acceptable?"

Iida straightened, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "I suppose so." He didn't sound too sure himself if that was the correct formal responce, but he looked Izuku in the eye to tell that it would be to him.

Izuku spread his hands out. "Then I accept your apology and thanks and, truly, it means a lot to me." Izuku shrugged, brushing heartfelt statements aside. "And as for the debt part? Apparently everyone feels that when I do anything remotely nice, so consider it fulfilled by helping me stand up."

Iida stared blankly at Izuku. "What?"

"What?" Izuku looked right back up, serious. "I just nearly broke my legs. They're rigid."

Slowly, Iida lent his arm and helped pull Stain's Apprentice to his feet, wincing at Izuku's hiss as his protesting muscles were stretched. He gradually relaxed, rifling through his pockets for a portal receptor.

"Honestly, none of you need to feel indebted to me over anything. I'm a guy of few grudges, and I'm far from the type to keep track of every little debt owed, so just forget about it." He stepped to the edge of the roof, looking out across the city, receptor in hand.

"If you don't hold many grudges, then why do you spend your time hunting down and killing heroes?" Bakugo asked fairly. "Don't you have some spiel about the injustices that modern society has done to you?"

Izuku gave a genuine laugh, bringing a hand up to his face as he cackled merrily. Did he have a lift of injustices? Oh, only too many. And many of them were from the one who had asked the question. Yes, he might have scratched those injustices out, no longer holding them against Kacchan or anyone else, but he still had both physical and mental scars imparted to him from the boy. "Well, I mean," he wiped a tear from his eye as the amusement slowly faded from his voice "technically yes, but it's not why I do what I do. Every action, no matter what, has a payment. My Master and I are merely the long due payment of the pro's actions." He turned around to face them, fiddling with the receptor in his hands. "So no. It's not about grudges. I haven't even personally met even half of them." He held the device out to Uraraka. "Quirk this please." He attempted to bringt the train of conversation to a sudden stop with the request, Uraraka gently doing as she was asked.

"If you haven't met them, then how can you label them as criminals?" Bakugo pressed.

"It's called the internet." Izuku looked his former bully in the eye, his tone of voice mischievous. "You wouldn't believe even half of the things I could tell you about some pros right now. They do love to cover things up." Izuku brought his arm back, snapping it forwards and sending the receptor flying across the city. He held a hand up to track it's progress. "Release please, Uraraka."

Izuku flipped open his phone to keep track of the device as it fell. After some twiddling and moving the device by means of tiny mechanical legs, Izuku soon had a portal standing before himself. Kirishima was the first one through, followed by Iida, who was keen to be left alone to his thoughts. Uraraka was third, giving them both a kind, timid smile.

At last, the two were alone.

Izuku looked to Kacchan rather aprehensively, fearing what he would do. Bakugo took a step forward, making Izuku swallow nervously.

'Why am I scared? I've judo flipped him before, who's to say I couldn't just do it again?'

Bakugo got up into Izuku's face, looking Stain's Apprentice right in the eye. Izuku's irises had contracted, a hint of familiar emerald green peeking past the fake yellow.

"Uhm, do you mind?" Izuku asked, his voice surprisingly level. "Your portal is gonna close on its own soon."

Bakugo let out a quiet snort, turning and jumping through the portal to his friends.

Izuku slumped over in a sigh of relief. That had been needlessly stressful, and had taken much too long. The sounds of the distant fighting had seemed to have ceased, but that could've been due to the distance from where Izuku stood to where the battle was.

Izuku was physically unable to return back to the field, and his emotion and mental levels had plummeted as exhaustion set in, so he wearily opened one last portal, limping through and hobbling to his/Chizome's bedroom. He fell asleep almost as soon as he had removed his duffle bag and clothes and his head hit his pillow.

A/N

Welp, here I am again with another long chapter. I'm not sure why, but I'm just not very happy with how this one turned out. Not sure why as I put on everything I wanted, but, que sera sera.

Dieokileteous, it was too tempting, I had to do it. Baku deserved that slap.

Also, Sombratheweeb, yes, izu and dabs will have a confrontation with Endeavor, but I'm not planning on showing much of the fight itself. It's going to have this buildup as izu learns of Enji's past, send this very threatening foreshadowing in form of almost blackmail, and then finally the confrontation. Then I'll cut the focus somewhere else, probs Baku or todo or maybe both, then cut back to endeavor and what they've done to him as Izu tells of his crimes in a very public manner. It's gonna be pretty graphic in terms of describing the damage the two have done to him.

And all of you, worry not. The drama is coming (hopefully(I hope I can write it well enough)). The students, Baku in particular, are figuring his identity out and, Baku again in particular, are denying the possibility with a fierce passion. Soon after the Endeavor confront, Izuku will make a bold and extremely public challenge to All Might. With Dabi and Spinner as successors to carry on the ideals of Stain should he lose, he is confident to go up against All Might, knowing that there is a great possibility of his identity being revealed. Also yes. This is where his identity is revealed, and no. No one takes it well at all.

Also, I'm sure some of you have noticed that I don't really put swears in my writing. Yeah, that's because I'm not comfortable writing that, and I don't want it clogged with an endless stream of profanities from all these violent characters. Just in case any of you were wondering.

Next chapter is going to focus on dabs, spinner, and Izu having their talk.

Hope you all enjoyed this, and hope it continues to impress.

So long lovies!


	8. Business Meeting

Dabi, Spinner, and Elija each in turn stepped through the portal and into a small living room. Izuku, wearing his coat but not his head gear, looked from where he sat on the couch with a smile. He sat down his work on a new mask.

"Ah, Dabi, Spinner. It's good to see you." Izuku sat up straighter, being careful with his aching legs. "I am deeply sorry for having to send Elija in my place, but I'm afraid after last night I am in no fit shape to walk halfway across town."

Dabi shrugged, walking over to the adjacent couch and picked up a tea cup. "No big deal really. So that was you who helped rescue Bakugo. I'd wondered." He fell backwards unto the couch and sipped his tea while Spinner followed suit.

"It's an honor to meet you!" The lizard greeted, shining with excitement.

Izuku spread out his hand, smiling with grace. "The same to you. I'm sorry if my injuries don't allow for quite as grand an introduction as Dabi had."

"Nah!" Spinner swatted the air once, nearly missing his own nose. "I'm just honored you considered me when recruiting us!"

Izuku nodded, turning as Elija coughed respectfully to gain his attention. "Do you need anything else? Want me to grab that sweet bread Lily made?" He offered, unsure of how to act in this situation.

"Ah, yes. I'd forgotten she'd made that. Please do, and if you could tell little Mathew to not mind us for a while, that's be ideal as well."

Elija agreed, leaving the room and returning the three to their conversation.

"Who's he?" Spinner asked, jerking a thumb to the closed door.

Izuku shrugged, waving his hand in a nonchalant manner. "Someone who feels indebted to me, and has pledged his services as long as I am in this line of business."

He was interrupted from further questions about Elija as Dabi lifted a long finger to point to Izuku. "You're that quirkless kid who went missing a few months ago, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am." He replied sadly.

Dabi frowned, raising an eyebrow and sipping his tea. "Didn't think Stain was the kidnapping sort."

"Ah," Izuku continued, still with a hint of sadness in his tone "that would be because he isn't. I began following and learning under him of my own volition, and left of the same." He turned and thanked a retreating Elija, reaching for the warm loaf of sweet bread. "Take what you want of this, Mrs Lily is a wonderful baker. And enough of me, I want to learn more about you two."

Dabi kept his eyebrow raised as Spinner reached to stuff his face with the sweet thing.

"What do you want to know first?"

\- UA dorms -

Katsuki laid on his back, staring distantly up at his ceiling. The class had been given the day off to get adjusted to their new dorm life and to recuperate after the kidnapping incident. Katsuki had finished a while back, choosing to skip out on the dorm judging by claiming fatigue.

He really only needed time to think.

Think about how *he* had shown up to rescue Bakugo like it was something he did on the daily. But, the way *he* had looked back as Katsuki had propelled himself to his rescuers, it was all too much like how Izuku would watch him set off explosions. For a moment, it was the same level of awe.

He may have acted that he loathed the nerd's every action back in middle school, but he knew how much Izuku had admired his power, and he had relished it. It flared his ego when Izuku would look at him with big eyes and call him 'Kacchan' with such reverence. Unknown to Izuku, or any one else, he had jealously guarded that admiration, and dealt seriously with anyone who dragged Izuku's attention off of him. He would cut Izuku down to make sure that he knew that he was no where close to Katsuki's level, and the he was top dog, deserving of every once of respect and more.

But now, he hated how he had pushed Izuku.

And now, all he wanted was to find the nerd.

Yet all he could do was imagine that cold blooded killer with Izuku's smiling, innocent face. The way he'd looked at Bakugo, how he had imagined him as Izuku right off, the hint of his green eyes and dark hair, that strange fear of Katsuki, and his cold aloof demeanor after the villain had slapped him.

Just like in the alleyway months ago, before Auntie Inko had been killed in that crash.

He growled, pulling his pillow over his face and shouting into it from rage and frustration.

He couldn't allow it. There was simply no way for Izuku to be that murderer.

Sure, they may be similar, but there are lots of similar people in the world, such as Kirishima and that Tetsu idiot. Izuku, regardless of his change in character, was still Izuku. He loved heroes, All Might almost as much as his Kacchan. He may have removed all that dumb merchandise, but there was no way to remove such an unhealthy obsession as his. Quirks, heroes, and Kacchan was all he would talk about in middle school, and he was far too much of a weak minded fool to ever look someone in the eye and kill them. Izuku just couldn't have that mentality.

It simply didn't make sense for that killer to be Katsuki's missing friend.

Just, no way.

\- Across Japan -

Unfortunately, as Katsuki would soon learn, Izuku had grown into that mentality, and he had grown into it well. The two guests had just left, rubbing sore body limbs to return to the League. Izuku had taken them into the training room to evaluate their skills, so he could determine how thoroughly he would need to train them before his fight with All Star. In short, they needed quite a bit of guidance in both moralities and combat. It didn't even matter much that he had limited usage of his legs when they had fought. His master had taken him past the breaking point and back again multiple times, so keeping the two at bay and continually knocking them down didn't pose much of a challenge for Izuku. They did land some fair hits of their own, but Izuku, in his own territory and mindset, still outshone them with smug grace.

He was currently grinning with pleasure at what Dabi, no, Touya, had just told him about Endeavor.

"Endeavor's first son, a criminal." He held a hand to his face as he smiled with criminal pleasure. "Oh, the irony."

He reached for a piece of paper, writing a few simple words. He folded the letter inside an envelope which already contained several small folded pictures. He sealed the letter in a classic old fashioned way, with melted wax and a seal depicting a bloodied katana.

He'd deliver the letter tommorow. Right now, he needed to plan on how best to train his two successors in such a limited time.

A/N

Don't really have much to say here. The next chapter will probably be pretty short, like a oneshot in length and I should come out with it soon enough due to that. It's going to mainly focus on the Todoroki family as Endeavor and fam react to Izu's letter as, of course, that is who the letter is for. Next chapter will skip forward about a week or so, then the next will be the endeavor confrontation. Also, considering everything, this book my be a bit shorter than bk1. I'm not sure, I could be wrong as I don't exactly have very chapter cut out from the plot line. I occasionally combine/separate chapters as I write them, and I may always add new things, so really, idk what the chapter count will come too, but hopefully it won't be too short for you guys' sakes.

Disclaimer, if any of you are confused by the mention of the alleyway incident before Inko died, go reread chapter 4 of book one.

Also, dear little Kacchan being jealous of Izu's attention 3. Hope y'all enjoyed that little bit of insight into his inner thoughts and character.

And, I know I haven't really clarified this, but All Might won the fight again AFO without reverting to his original form. Main reason, Baku is a little better suited power wise for OFA in my canon than Deku is in actual canon, so All Might didn't use as much of OFA in the usj attack as Baku was there to power though everything. So, when All Might went up against AFO, he was able to win without revealing his true form or losing OFA. This way we can have our mini stain vs All Might throwdown.

Also, Sombratheweeb. You're too nice. Just. *fails at the English language* thank you!

That's all I've got my lovies! So long!


	9. A Grim Promise

The maid, pale and shaking, rushed into Endeavor's business room. She dropped the opened letter on his desk without explanation and ran back out in tears. Enji Todoroki yelled after her, but she didn't listen as she ran out of the house and to her home. His guest, All Might himself, watched as she left, then turned his eyes back to Endeavor.

"Oh my." He muttered, watching as Enji looked down at the letter.

The hulking man pushed the lip of the envelope down, returning the cracked seal to its former image. His eyes widened as the bloodied katana made itself clear. He swallowed.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He spoke coolly, calm as a brook.

All Might didn't buy it. He had a sneaking suspicion about who would've sent that letter, for he had seen that very katana hanging in a prison that held criminal's weapons. "Is that from who I think it's from?"

Todoroki looked up, his face lighting with flame and his shirt beginning to smoke. "Leave, All Might. Our conversation is done."

He frowned, but Toshinori did as his host commanded. As soon as he was gone, Enji turned the envelope upside down.

Several perfectly folded pictures fluttered to his desk. Each one was one member of the Todoroki family. Him, Rei, Touya, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shoto. Each picture had been covered in scribbled writing, telling of what he'd done to them. Shoto's young face was barely visible beneath the words.

Rei: abused, neglected, hurt, forced, traumatized.

Touya: abused, hated, pushed, hurt, 'imperfect'.

Fuyumi: left alone, neglected, 'imperfect'.

Natsuo: hated, 'imperfect'.

Shoto: 'perfect', abused, hurt, neglected, traumatized, forced, 'perfect', abused, abused, abused.

His: 'MONSTER'

On the backside of each picture held their names, quirk, and how strong each of them were. Sitting quietly beneath the pictures was a simple little folded piece of paper. Enji picked it up with a slightly trembling hand. He slowly unfolded it.

Inside was a blood stain, the words 'I PROMISED' stamped over the top.

He burned them. His hands exploded in flames, setting fire to his desk and everything else in his immediate area. He couldn't let anyone see these papers. To his horror however, they survived the flames, fluttering to the ground and mocking his power. They landed in a crescent form, and he would have sworn there was a happy little ghost of magical laughter. He reached down, picking up one of the pictures, crushing it in his hand and turning his flames bright blue. As he relaxed his fingers, so did the picture. It was the one of Rei.

'You can't deny the truth' was the obvious message.

He picked up the other pictures and paper, jamming them into a spare folder. He threw it haphazardly into a drawer and locked it. No one could see that. He'd find a way to destroy it later.

As the drawer closed, Shoto looked in through the open door, his eyes widening in shock. "What the-?"

"Leave, Shoto. Do you not have school work to be doing?"

Shoto looked back at his father, noticing his strange behaviour. He gave a small shrug. "Finished it."

Enji waved his hand dismissively, turning away and righting his desk chair. "Then leave. Be with your friends or work on something else. Just leave me be." He ordered, making it clear all further conversation was stopped.

Shoto stared at his father for a moment, before turning and doing as he was bidden. The door closed behind him with a snap as he reached into his pocket to shoot Momo a text on if she and any others would want to hang out.

Enji released a shaky breath, sitting down heavily. This small threat shouldn't bother him as much as it did. He'd dealt with worse as the number 2 pro hero in the world. He'd defeated those who could've slaughtered him and his family in moments, brought buildings down on villain underground meet-ups. He was feared and respected.

Then why was it that he could feel a ghost of the child's light form on his chest where he had stood months ago? Why could he hear his young voice, or feel that blade slicing through his arm? He could see those cold green eyes and feel him grabbing his face so they could see each other plainly.

He could see the word 'abused' printed all over his son's face when he had looked through his door.

He was the unbreakable hero, both in mind and body. Stain's Apprentice was a mere child. By all logic, the situation should have been switched.

How could someone so insignificant and low, have such a hold over his fears, and be able to snuff out his life in any moment?

Across Japan, Izuku was laughing as he fought with Endeavor's own son, Touya.

It is said that those cold chills down your spine as you innately know that there is danger is caused by someone 'standing over your grave'. Endeavor knew that Stain's Apprentice was standing over his, and laughing uproariously.

The child was in control. The adult was the puppet. And both knew it.

A/N

And there ya have it. Shortie, just like I said. Next chapter, which skips forwards about a week in time, may be short as well, but idk. We shall see together.

Sombra, no, I don't get that reference, and no, we are sadly out of relevant deaths in this particular book. Most probably. Don't worry tho. They all do get very angry at Izuku before realizing he's Izuku, and then most of them have to decide whether to continually hold his crimes against him or to join Katsuki in working to bring him back.

Also, if you haven't gotten the message yet, things are gonna get pretty violent with Enji. Just, beware.

I believe that's all! So long lovies!


	10. Limited Time

The sharp sounds of the two training staves hitting each other cracked in the room, the trainees whirling about each other.

Dabi was a quick learner, and in the week he had been learning under Midoriya, his combat skills had improved noticeably. However, as his sore limbs reminded him as he hit the floor for the tenth time, he still had a long ways to go. He groaned.

"C'mon. Get back up." Izuku poked him in the side with the staff. "If I wasn't allowed respites until Master said, and you are significantly more trained than I was when I started, you aren't allowed them either until I say."

Touya grunted, sitting upwards and clambering back to his feet. The sounds of wood on wood continued as he steadied himself. Spinner was at the other side of the room, attacking a mannequin with his own staff.

Izuku gave Dabi an encouraging smile. "Try holding the staff up a little higher, see if that helps."

Touya nodded, and their training continued. They exchanged rapid blows for a minute. He ducked under Midoriya's staff, but the teen quickly followed the swipe by knocking Touya's feet out from underneath him for the eleventh time that day.

He sunk into the floor, defeated. "I'm not getting back up."

"Well you're mature for a 20 some year old guy." Izuku quipped, but didn't press the matter.

"Hey," Touya quickly changed the subject "hasn't it been, like, a week or more since you sent that letter to Dad? Are we ever going to follow up on it?"

Izuku chuckled lightly. "Oh yeah, we are. And soon, but first I gotta finish making sure you too idiots are trained as you can be." Izuku looked distant, his voice trailing off. "So much to do, so little time."

"There you go again." Touya sat up quickly, shaking Izuku from his thoughts with the sudden movement.

"I'm sorry?"

"You keep making these weird and vague statements like that." Spinner stopped what he was doing, listening in on their conversation. "When we each properly introduced ourselves a week ago, you said something similar." Dabi pointed a finger to Midoriya, glaring at him. "Just what aren't you telling us?"

Izuku blinked, shocked at the sudden outburst, before sighing and sitting down as well. He waved his hand to Spinner. "Come on, you too." He took a deep breath, muttering to himself. "Where to begin?"

"Start by explaining why you keep acting like you're gonna just disappear or something like that."

Izuku nodded, figuring that probably would be the best place without having to explain his whole history to them.

"Well, simply put, I may not be." He shifted at Touya's annoyed face. "You see, before the, Hosu incident, Master and I each promised each other something. Ingenium asked me if I would make sure his little brother, Tenya Iida, would not be harmed if he came seeking revenge. As I still rather see most in 1A as friends, and I respected his determination to protect his brother, I came to Master with the same request, but spanning to cover all hero students we may come across."

Izuku sighed, closing his eyes at the painful memory. "In turn, he made me promise that-" he bit his tounge, frustrated.

"That-?" Dabi pressed, eyebrow raised.

"He made me promise, that if anything, permanent, ever happened to him, that I would do what I could for the cause and, go, home." The words were hard to force out, but out they came nonetheless.

"Then why are you still here?" Spinner spoke up from where he was lounging on the floor next to them.

"Doing what I can for the cause." Izuku took another, deeper breath, preparing himself for their reactions. "And what I can do is coming to a climax. After Endeavor, I'm going to challenge someone, not as Stain's Apprentice, but as myself. I don't know what to do, and this battle will decide if I continue my work here, or return home peacefully." His eyes grew distant, boring holes into the wooden floor. "I need to prove I'm right. I'm not some disillusioned kid. I need to prove to myself and the world I am to be feared. And All Might is the key."

There was momentary silence as heavy as molasses.

"What." Dabi spit the word out.

Izuku tried to intervene. "Let me explain, I know-"

"All Might?! That's basically suicide!" Spinner leapt to his feet, genuinely concerned for his small friend. Izuku was just a kid! Many older and even more experienced adults had gone up against him and had severely and quickly defeated. That All For One guy himself had failed, and he radiated power.

"I thought he was to be respected above all else. That's what you told us you held to right?" Touya glared at Izuku, rage evident despite his eerily calm voice. "Yet here you are, saying you're going to go to to toe with him, on purpose, and genuinely try to win against him?"

"Yes." Izuku admitted the word sadly, knowing how much he must seem like a hypocrite to them at that moment.

Touya lost his cool. "Then are we supposed to respect him or try to kill him?!"

He yelled right back. "Respect him as the Symbol of Peace! Respect him for the fact that he got there of his own works and that everything he does is for someone else's good!" His voice quieted, and he dragged his gaze from Touya's own. "I'm not saying I don't respect him. It's just,"

"Just, what!" Touya was on his feet too now, unsure of when he had stood. "Give us a straight answer!"

"I CAN'T!" Izuku almost screamed the words, bent over and fighting off tears once more. In the week he'd known the two, he grown to be very close to them, highly valuing them and the friendship they shared. And now, he was back where he always seemed to end in his friendships. His tears started to fall. "Please Touya. I, can't explain it, I don't know how. If fail at this, it will say that I AM weak. I HAVE to do this, and I have to do this alone."

Touya and Spinner shared a shocked look with each other, not having expected such an emotion from the stoic teen. Spinner drew his mouth into a line, looking down at his little friend. He knelt back down.

"Do you have any sortve plan yet?" He gently asked.

Izuku looked up, his tears drying on his cheeks. He sniffed. "Sort've." He gave a quick rundown of his plan, how long he hypothesized All Might had left in his bulked form, and his own abominably low percentage of winning unless he played every trick right. Granted, he still had probably less than 50% of winning if he did play his cards right, but he felt he had no other choice.

Dabi sighed, his shoulder sagging. "Fine. You win you idiot. I may not fully agree with this stupid plan but," Touya looked down at his first true friend, kneeling at his feet, sincere "I will support you."

Izuku Midoriya wiped his tears, muttering 'Thank you' to his two true friends.

"Quit crying, you look like a ninny." Dabi turned and strolled to the door, leaving the two behind. "And I'm saying that training is done this time."

A/N

So! Our first little glimpse at Stain fanatic home life. Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter jumps right to endevs, and we get to see Izu's and dabs sadistic and straight up psychopathic side as we see what they do to the dirt bag. He deserves it.

Also, I've been rereading you guys' comments, and y'all are so nice and funny. Seriously, you lot are the flipping best and I love you.

I realize I've posted two thousand some chapters right after each other, but I'm on a rather good writing streak rn, so I apologize if this is seeming a bit rushed. If you've been seeing and notable issues in my writing as of late, please tell me, it helps a lot.

So long and thank you Lovies!


	11. Long Awaited Justice

Endeavor patrolled down the surprisingly rather empty streets. A few pedestrians walked about, but they kept to themselves and didn't bother the intimidating pro. He was glad for this. At this time, it was of vital importance that he maintain his image as the number two pro hero. No villain, no matter how manipulative, would be allowed to hold such power over him.

This was why he was practically daring Stain's Apprentice to find him by walking along the usually more criminally inclined streets. Despite the lack of criminal presence that day however, he kept his image. Endeavor wanted Stain's Apprentice to find him, so he could be the one to get the glory of bringing that brat into custody and throwing him behind bars for life.

His challenge was answered by a rhythmic 'clank, clunk, clank, clunk' of a boot hitting the side of a metal trash can. Enji stopped outside of a small, darkly lit alley way, a strange feeling going down his spine. He stepped inside.

Sitting casually on the metal trash can in question, was a guy in his late twenties dressed in a black and burned trench coat and white tee with black jeans, calmly kicking the can with the back of his shoe.

"Ah, finally." He stayed seated on the can, but lazily rolled his head to Endeavor. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

Endeavor glared at the man before him. "Am I supposed to know you?"

He smiled eerily. "Oh yeah."

Enji kept glaring, trying to place a memory. It finally clicked. "Ah, you're one of the villains from the hideout we crashed." He grinned right back. "Which means you're a member of the League, the fire user, which is a very good thing for me." His flames grew in intensity.

Dabi shrugged. "Not what I meant, but yeah. And I'm glad to see that you're so ready for a fight. That'll make this much more interesting."

Endeavor leaned forward, readying himself. "I don't care how strong your flames are, you're no match for me."

Dabi was still smiling, which set Endeavor slightly on edge. "Oh I know." Suddenly a wet cloth covered his mouth, making Enji choke in surprise. "That's why I'm not alone." Enji began to choke from the chemicals working their way into his system, and he swung behind himself to remove his attacker. The cloth was whipped away, but he didn't hit anything. As he spun to see behind himself, he was hit with a wave of light-headedness and stumbled into the wall.

"Well. This was easy." The familiar young voice spoke clearly by Enji's side, sending cold fear down his back. He threw a handful of flame at the boy, spots appearing in his vision, but the teen dodged the fire with ease. "Remember me?" Stain's Apprentice reached out with his short sword, tilting Eandeavors head up with the tip so as to look him in the eye. "I did promise I'd come pack for you, didn't I, Enji Todoroki?"

\- Elsewhere -

"Katsuki!"

Bakugo turned at the happy voice, smiling when he saw Uraraka walking towards him and waving energetically. He gave a small wave in return. "Hey 'Raka." She walked up alongside him and they continued to stroll down the sidewalk. She was holding tightly onto the straps of her backpack, as she usually did when she was excited, and it was giving him the strange urge to hold her hand.

"What're you doing on this side of town?" She beamed up at him, not even watching where she was going.

He shrugged at the question, dragging his gaze away from her hand and back to the path ahead of them. "Heard there was a new food joint around here. Thought I might check it out."

"Oh?" Her voice caught a strange coy tone which made him glance back down at her quickly. "Funny as you've come here three times from what I've heard from the boys." His face flushed and he looked hurriedly away, biting the inside of his lip. "You're looking for Izuku, aren't you?" Her tone was kind, and she showed no disrespect or disappointment in his actions.

"Food sounds good too." He mumbled looking ashamed.

She giggled. "No need to look like you're in trouble! I just want to help you." This drew his attention back to her. She was still smiling brightly up at him. "We all want him back, or, at least, most of us. You don't have to be looking for him alone all the time 'Suki. I'm only a call away."

"I know that. But I also know that if I were to ask, you would drop everything and help me, and you would eventually fall behind." He kept eye contact with her this time, gaze flicking ahead only occasionally to check the path.

"Then let's do homework together!" She offered quickly. "We can meet up sometime after school, or in school, or even in the dorms, I don't really mind where, and work together. That way we both get at least most of our work done and then we can look for him afterwards!"

He mulled the proposition over before slowly nodding. "I suppose so." It would be nice to have her encouraging and supportive personality out here with him when he was looking for Izuku, and he could still duck out by himself when he needed to.

She shone, happy he'd accepted her idea. Without thinking she blurted out "It's a date then!" They both immediately choked, stumbling. She threw her hands up waving them about frantically. "GAH! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to say that I swear!"

"S-sure. No big deal!" He stuttered, holding the back of his hand up to his mouth and blushing as hard as she was. His inner train of though was one unbroken line of obscenities, enough to even shock his own mother. "Just - forget about it or whatever!"

"R-right!" She was fanning herself furiously with her hands, trying to cool off.

They both tried, very hard, to forget about the blunder. They continued on their meandering path, trying to make small talk as they slowly calmed down. They eventually gave up, walking along in mostly comfortable silence, with only the occasional passing comment.

'A date huh?' His mind wandered back to her hand, now swinging by her side, and the urge to hold it returned in strength. His hand slid out of the pocket in his pants at a snail's pace, reaching for her's even more slowly.

"Oh, hey Todoroki!" He jerked and quickly shoved his hand back into his pocket as they came face to face with a frightened looking Shoto. "Is something wrong? You look almost sick!"

He twisted his hands, looking very upset by something. "It's, uh, my father."

Uraraka's 'therapist' mode turned on, and she rushed over to put her hand on his shoulder. Ever since the Sports Festival and the Hosu Incident, she had become the unspoken class therapist, having dealt with everyone in her class at least once over various issues, aside from Mineta. "Oh no, what's happened now?" Bakugo stiffened, glaring daggers at the point where they were touching. Seeing her touch some one else...

"He didn't do anything but," Shoto chewed on his lip, not seeing the death glare he was receiving from Bakugo. "Remember Hosu?" He asked timidly, but the implications were enough to even reduce Bakugo's intensity slightly.

Uraraka swallowed. "Of course."

Shoto's fiddling with his hands grew quicker. "Remember how Stain's Apprentice saved me, killed that, thing, then took down my father in like, two seconds?" Uraraka nodded, silent as the vivid memories flashed in her mind. "Well, about a week ago, Dad started acting weird. I looked into his room and he had set half of it on fire, and, I swear, he looked frightened. I didn't think much of it at the time, he does get angry incredibly easily, but..." Shoto shifted, guilty. "His strange behaviour kept up. He would randomly check in on me and the others, and he even visited Mom! He's been going out and patrolling the streets with heavier criminal activity. I, I wanted to know what was going on, and so, I looked in his desk, and-"

Shoto's voice cut off with a choke and he was visibly shaking now, only a small child again. Uraraka and Bakugo, temporarily forgetting the affont of Shoto being so shaken Ochako had to touch him, led him to a nearby bench to sit on.

"What did you find?" Bakugo pressed, a worried feeling filling his chest.

"Pictures. Of all of us." Shoto whispered, being nearly drowned out by a nearby barking dog. "They, they all had detailed notes on each of us. And now-" The shaking in his voice made him stutter his words until he was nearly unintelligible.

"'And now' what?" Uraraka gently prodded the question, one hand resting in a comforting manner on the disturbed teen's back.

Shoto's voice was very small. "No one can find him."

A cold shiver shot up Bakugo's spine and he and Ochako cut their gaze to each other at the same time. She quickly went back to trying to comfort Shoto. "I'm sure it's fine-"

"No!" Shoto suddenly shot up, hands flinging into the air as his voice returned in strength. "It's far from fine!" His voice cracked. "Stain's Apprentice, after saving us and purposely going out of his way for all of us to make sure none of us would be hurt or killed, is out there right now on the hunt for my father! He's out for his blood I know it!" He was shaking again, but his voice held out strong. "He's been acting brash, and now nobody cam get a hold of him. My father may be far from respectable family-wise, and I may hate him for what he's done, but he's still my father and I can't-" Shoto's scared voice cracked even higher as he gasped out a sob, fully overcome by emotions and fear.

Shoto, normally, was very stoic. He was able to bear most things without complaint and let insults roll off his back. But admitting the whole situation, how his father for all he knew could be on the brink of death at the current moment, terrified him. He'd seen how ruthless Stain's Apprentice really could be, kindness aside. For that cold hard hatred to be focused entirely on his father...

Bakugo and Uraraka rushed to support their friend as his legs gave out underneath him. Katsuki quickly took control of the situation. "All right. This is far from fine. Well take you to see Aizawa, he may be able to help." He spoke quickly and authoritatively, leaving no room for arguments or discussion.

Shoto nodded shakily and allowed them to support him back onto his feet. The three started walking away.

Suddenly, all three of their phones rang at the same time as every screen in Japan flickered to a nation-wide live veiw of static, as the all too familiar voice spoke out to the millions.

'Hello Japan!' Stain's Apprentice greeted the sunny afternoon with a cheerful voice, as if discussing his favourite pet. 'Just a little disclaimer right now before we start, this will contain rather serious stuff, so if there are any children around right now, you may want to send them to a separate room with no television.' He waited a moment, a small popping sound in the background. 'There. That should be enough of a pause!'

The static cut out to a dramatic picture of Endeavor himself. An intimidating picture used frequently for hero magazines that couldn't get him to agree to a photo shoot. Shoto gasped and fell to his knees once again. He knew what was coming.

'Endeavor. The number two pro 'hero'.' The Apprentice's voice drawled out the word 'hero' with a disgusted tone. 'Most would say, despite his rather cold attitude, he was rather respectable. He still went out of his way for others, to an extent, he participated in that big villain hideout crash a few weeks ago, and hey, he's a father of four! Surely he's not that bad right?' Stain's Apprentice laughed, a cold tone highlighting the jovial sound. 'Well, my dear, dear people, you are sorely mistaken.'

A looping slideshow of each of the Todoroki children and Rei appeared on each screen, the picture of Endeavor fizzling out with a blur of static. The words detailing his crimes against them, much like on the pictures Shoto had found, stood out on each picture in bold letters.

'Is everyone here familiar with quirk marriages? No? It's simple. They were old fashioned arranged marriages, designed specifically to breed children with powerful quirks.' He chuckled darkly. ''But,' as I'm sure you're thinking, 'those were outlawed decades ago! Surely this boy is lying!' Tell me, where's your proof that one determined man couldn't force his way onto anything, even something illegal?'

A picture of Rei froze on the screens, a picture of her wedding to Enji.

'This was from over 30 years ago. Oh, how the media had been blowing up over the wonderful marriage, love between ice and fire, how the two were so happy.' The image focused in on her strained face. She clearly wasn't happy about this, but she was putting on a brave face for the illusion. 'Clearly, so very happy. Tell me, would someone supposedly so happy look so unsure?'

The image cut to an image of her a few days before her engagement, in tears, being comforted by her mother while Endeavor stood nearby. 'Mrs Rei never had any love for this man, but she was forced into a marriage for the sake that Endeavor could father a child powerful enough to surpass All Might for him.'

The image cut to Touya, before he got his burns. 'Little Touya, gifted with a fire quirk seemingly even more powerful then his father's, unfortunately inherited his mother's weakness to flames. Forced into abuse in order to train his quirk into one that could surpass All Might, he struggled on without the help of his two other siblings until baby Shoto developed his quirk.'

The image cut to Shoto in a young age, bandages wrapped around his face after his burn. Stain's Apprentice quickly summarized the extensive abuse Shoto suffered, knowing way too many fine details for everyone's comfort. The screens cut back to static.

'But, of course, why go through all this trouble to tell you this? Two simple reasons. One, you need to know my dears. Two,' he giggled lightly 'I needed time to distract the heroic and police officials until our business was over.' The static was replaced by blackness, his final words echoing without visual highlights. 'I'd say it worked exceptionally. Sleep well tonight.'

Televisions, tablets, laptops, and phones all returned to normal. Shoto's phone itself rang after a moment's pause as Aizawa called.

'They've found him.'

\- At the hospital -

Shoto had never run so fast in his life. Cars, pedestrians, he had shoved past them all, soon leaving Ochako and Bakugo behind. They weren't allowed to use their quirks, and he had someplace to be. Desperately.

He crashed through the hospital doors. A nurse was waiting for him, calmly handing him a cold mask and marching briskly down the corridor to a special waiting room. She made him to sit down in a chair, telling him to wait and that she'd be back later to bring him to his father.

The wait felt like years. In reality, it was less than a hour, but the seconds dragged by and infuriated Shoto. His nerves were shot, he felt like being sick, and he leapt at every distant noise before finally being able to see his father.

That image, it would haunt him until the day he died.

His father, looking like he had lost five pounds he couldn't afford to lose, lay weakly on the bed, covered in burns and gashes. The word 'MONSTER' had been carved into his torso, his left hand had been amputated, and all too familiar bandages wrapped around his left eye. Shoto gripped the metal bars as Enji somehow found the strength to turn at look at his youngest son. Shoto saw something in his eye, something that he thought would never be there.

Fear. Cold fear, of a child. Or for his own child before him. Or maybe of that child, being specifically chosen by the killer who had mutilated Endeavor so. Shoto could never tell.

Shoto fell backwards, breathing all too heavily. "Dad?" His voice shook and was horribly tiny. "Dad?"

Enji Todoroki opened his mouth, revealing that his tounge had been carved out.

Shoto didn't cry, he only breathed in shock. Natsuo dragged him away to pack his things and stay with him for the time being. He didn't go to school for three days, jumping between staying with Fuyumi and Natsuo, not to mention the frequent court meetings. Many came out with evidence against Endeavor, his children especially, who all knew that none of the others had been bribed into casting his dirt right back at him.

Shoto didn't know what to think. Izuku had always been close to kind to Shoto, saving him twice, saving Bakugo, Iida, and Ochako, and setting up a promise that no hero students would be harmed by him. He never expressed the merest form of ill intent towards any of them.

And yet, he was beyond ready to strike Shoto's own father down, and to make it so public that all knew of what had been so perfectly covered up.

No matter how he viewed the situation, Stain's Apprentice repeatedly was just out of reach of Shoto's understanding. There was some element they were missing, one or more pieces of the puzzle. Perhaps if this cursed feeling of knowing the enigma would leave and it could be clear who the Apprentice was, then maybe they could get somewhere. But he was running them in circles.

As Shoto listened to the verdict that he would be permenately removed from the custody of his father, to be cared for by Natsuo as Fuyumi cared for Enji, a suspicion that the climax to the current situation was approaching all too quickly. He knew, more blood was going to be shed, and the subject of who Stain's Apprentice truly is, would be settled.

One way, or another.

A/N

Sheesh, I am sorry for yet another long update. Dialogue centered chapters seem to be a problem for me as I just hit one block after another, and the will to write kept eluding me. In the middle section with the live talk sounds a little unnatural, yeah I was having issues with that. It's hard to describe someone describing something without just reappearing yourself seven times like I did. Almost every description of him was him laughing in a different way. Ugh.

Next chapter or two will probably be filler chapters. One shortie showing the league's reaction to Izuku's big show, and maybe cutting back to UA, and one showing him prepping for the All Might throwdown. Not sure if I'll combine those, but probably not. I am trying to bring the chapter count up closer to 20 some so it's closer to the same as bk1. It will probably still be shorter chapterwise, but wordwise it'll be about the same. I just know that after the All Might throwdown there will be very few chapters left. Four at probable absolute most.

Also WE'RE GETTING THERE! THE REVEAL!

Viate, nope. They have reached the max party. No toga in any major way, no UA students, although some, such as Shinso, do support the cause. They won't fully devote themselves to it, but they support the change.

As always, tell me what you thought, thank you for the kind comments and hey! As of this chapter there are exactly 101 follows! WHOO HOOO!

So long my lovies!


	12. Suspicions

Shigaraki wiped dust off of the bar counter, growling beneath his breath.

"Ugghhh, I don't like it. This brat is turing into a problem. Why can't he just disappear off of the face of the planet?! It'd save me a whole lot of trouble."

"Well, it is your fault for running with the media's immediate guess on the situation." Kurogiri dutifully cleaned the remains of the glass his petulant child had destroyed. "Now they all believe we have Stain's Apprentice on our side. The fact that we command men, and girl, who are avid fans of him, doesn't help."

Shigaraki was quick to defend himself. "Hey, they're great fighters! Why should I have just let them fall by the wayside where they might've joined HIM?" He went back to hunching over his dinner plate, cold food looking pathetic below him. "Imagine if HE'D gotten to any of them first. We'd have a riot on our hands."

Kurogiri was quick to agree. The Vanguard Action Squad held many Stain supporters, but they were all impressive in their quick ability to accomplish tasks. Regardless, he made a mental note to make sure that they truly hadn't been swayed by the rouge teen. "Speaking of the Vanguard, shouldn't they be arriving soon?"

On cue, the squad themselves waltzed in, quickly taking up their unofficial spots. They were in deep discussion about the recent events starring Izuku and Endeavor.

"I mean, come on!" Toga gushed, holding her face and blushing. "Doesn't he seem kind've dreamy? With his little giggles and ruthlessness?"

"No way! He's disturbing!" Twice switched personas in the blink of an eye. "I can see how you would be attracted to him. He does seem like your type."

She was almost drooling. "I knoooowwww. I wish I could see his face."

Looking at her, Dabi promised to himself that he would never let that girl touch his best friend. In any capacity. Trailing the group, and the last to take his seat, Compress spoke up from the back.

"Speaking of Stain's Apprentice, Dabi, didn't you have a target on Endeavor's back? Aren't you upset over that chance being taken from you?"

Spinner cut a quick glance to Dabi, but the fire user remained strictly calm. "Oh, yeah. Not too upset really. I would've liked to do it myself, but he did the same as I would've done, so no harm in it really. Plus I would have never thought to out him so thouroughly." Dabi grinned with malice. "Kudos to him for that."

"You were out for Endeavor?" Shigaraki turned to look at Dabi more closely, squinting."

He shrugged. "Yeah, old beef with him. Don't really wanna talk about it."

"C'mon, it's boring around here! We need the gossip." Shigaraki prodded, but Dabi would not be persuaded.

"Have you ever heard of personal information?"

Compress tried to intervene before Shigaraki could retaliate. "I may not have devoted myself to his cause, but it would be interesting to meet the boy."

"Yeahh." Toga sighed, still staring off dreamily and not paying attention to the drama beside her.

"It would be." Dabi agreed, keeping up his lie of devoted fan. "It sure would be great if SOMEONE would stop being a little twat about the whole situation." The obvious glare to Shigaraki was far from unnoticed, and Compress wanted to die. He'd only made the argument worse.

"Hey!" Shigaraki snapped back, keeping up his own lie of controlling Stain's elusive Apprentice. "He CHOSE to be left alone, s'not my fault in the slightest."

Dabi rolled his eyes, looking away pointedly as Kurogiri made a forceful change of conversation. "Yeah yeah whatever."

\- UA dorms -

"I mean, all I'm saying is, it's not impossible." Iida was the one to voice this doubt, using less dramatic handgestures than usual. "We all, who have personally met him, agree do we not?" He looked around at his friends and classmates, eyebrows raised. "There is something all too familiar about that boy. And we all know by now who he reminds us of."

Kirishima nodded, a sad frown. "His muttering. Took me a while to place it."

"Why he seems to care for our wellbeing." Shoto's quiet voice added to the murmurs. "It's cause he veiws us as friends. His voice itself sounds the same too."

"His gentleness with us too." Uraraka jumped in, remembering how carefully he'd treated her in the woods.

Tsuyu piped in, even though never having been in a violent confrontation with the teen in question. "He's actively avoided conflicts with you guys whenever he could, choosing instead to subdue you or leave from what I've seen and heard."

"And of course," Iida resumed, looking grim "he's gone out of his way, even causing harm to himself for us, Bakugo in particular."

"What about me?" They all jumped at Katsuki's voice. He stood there in the doorway of the dorm kitchen, pulling an earbud out to hear them. "What're you lot talking about?"

Uraraka smiled. "Stain's Apprentice. We think," her smile faded. "Please don't get mad. But, it's just,"

He raised an eyebrow. "Just what? No need to be so cryptic about whatever it is." She bit her lip, looking fearful of his reaction, which in turn worried him. He was unnacustomed to that look on her face. "'Raka?"

"It's, also, Izuku." He stiffened, instantly understanding her fear. "It's, don't you thing that there, might be, just the slightest cha-"

"No." His voice was calm, his expression neutral. "No, I do not think." His loud swallow contradicted his passive appearance. "Izuku is a good person. He could NEVER fall that low. And I'm going to find him to make sure he doesn't."

Katsuki plugged his earbud back in before he could hear Iida's objections. He proclaimed in a tone that left no room for arguments that he was going for a jog and that he'd see them all later. He almost slammed the door.

He was beyond furious. Sure, it may have been the natural conclusion, and he may have been plauged by it for several days now, but Izuku WAS a good person. He had always strongly belived in good. Heroes saved people, and he had always wanted to be one until Katsuki had finally convinced him otherwise. There had been no sign of anything even remotely malicious in the time before his disappearance, and with his detailed goodbye videos, it was clear he wanted only the best for his friends.

No way.

Katsuki picked up the pace of his jog, planning to reach the other side of town in hopes of coming across clues to lead to Izuku.

A/N

So, this took longer than expected to come out. I kinda feel like I'm letting you guys down by going from a chapter every few days at most, to one chapter every few days on average, but I'm afraid that's just how it seems it's gonna be. School is hard, Christmas is lording over us rn, and I can't find focus on this with all these other ideas bouncing in my head now.

Hardcasekara: Good. That is exactly how you are supposed to be feeling for endeavor. Yes, he deserved what he got, but he was still human. Pity and confliction is what I want. And yes, his popularity will die as he was very nearly wheelchair bound for life. And this is seen as the beginning fire of Izuku's revolution. The sparks were his action in Hosu, endeavor was the fuel yo light the fire. Or maybe the fire to light the fuel. Your choice.

Darcry: I'll tie Aithusa in just for you somehow, but she still isn't the instigator of the reveal.

I believe that is all dears! I will try to have 13 out soon, and it too will be short, but I can't say when it will come.

So long Lovies!


	13. Preparation

Izuku sat hunched over his desk, one hand gripping his hair and scratching his scalp while the other wrote furious notes and ideas. He mumbled incoherently.

"Yes but it needs to be strong enough... so as many as possible... augh but too many would be abovious, he'd see the trap... but fewer might not be enough!... surely at least one is going to get broken, it's simply a given... but how many on total?... is there even a way to calculate that?... I wonder..."

So engrossed in his work was he, that he didn't notice the gentle hand pulling his mechanical pencil out of his grasp. He continued trying to write, but it wasn't until he noticed he wasn't leaving a mark and went to extend the lead, that he realized he wasn't holding his pencil at all. He looked up to see Touya twirling the pencil in his long fingers.

"You're going to work yourself to your grave Izu." The older man chastised, sliding the mechanical pencil in it's slot on the desk. "You'll stand no chance against All Might if you're half dead."

"But-" Izuku whined in responce "I need to get this figured and done! It's the peak point Touya! If I don't get this right, it's over!"

Touya leaned over Izuku's shoulder to read the scribbled notes. He'd gotten better at reading his friend's shorthand, his own handwriting not being much better.

"What would be the minimum you would need?"

Izuku but his lip. "Five minimum, but for All Might, maybe six. But there's also that some will get destroyed, no question, so I'd need extras."

"Then make ten. That's twice you need at bare minimum, plus four extras minus the sixth one for All Star. Plus, since it's two parts, you're basically doubling it to twenty. They all will work even if, say, they get knocked over or something, yeah?"

"Almost certainly." Tilting his head, Izuku replied instantly, playing an imaginary battlefield in his mind. If he kept All Star's focus on him, and not his immediate surroundings, then it would be very possible that he wouldn't notice the contraptions until it was too late. Then, via remote control, Izuku would unleash his beast. Should All Might still stand, no doubt a final fist from his glove at its max power would finish the job. He smiled.

Touya stood, smiling proudly. "There. Problem solved." He grabbed Izuku underneath the arms and bodily hoisted his smaller friend out of his desk chair. "C'mon, let's get some tea, your strong stuff this time." Izuku relaxed as he was guided out of the lab room, allowing Touya to keep his long arm slung around his thin shoulders. It was a relief to know someone else that cared so greatly about his health, and that that someone was on his side. "I know how determined you are about this, but I'm serious. You have to take time to take a break and not push yourself so much."

Izuku gave a half smile, nodding along. "Yeah, I know. Master said much the same thing."

\- Meanwhile -

Chizome Akaguro sat still, looking in a bored manner at the official across from him.

"For the last time, I don't know what the kid is doing." He rolled his eyes as the official opened his mouth to object. "Well, I mean, clearly yeah I do, it's sort've hard to ignore a flat screen that shows nothing but the news which is talking about him 24/7. What I mean is I didn't order him to do any of this. Honestly, it's almost against what I have told him to do."

"And what have you told him to do?"

Chizome rolled his head in a circle, trying to decide if he should spill or not the desicion was an easy one. "Mmmmno."

The official's hands tightened into fists. "I'm sorry?" He had to force the words out.

"I said, no. What me and my kid promised each other is none of your business."

"Your kid?" Chizome groaned loudly. Here they went again. "Interesting choice of words to talk about your 'kid'."

"For the last time you insufferable morons." Akaguro cast a pointed glare at the two way mirror on the wall where he knew others were watching him. "I have no relation to my apprentice. None that I know of at any rate. Of course though, none of you will believe me unless you can somehow get your hands on him and run dna tests on him or some crap."

"So," the door opened as the confident voice spoke clearly "it is merely sentiment?" Chizome's eyes widened as All Might ushered the official out and sat in his place.

"All Might huh?" He discretely swallowed. "Think just cuz my apprentice and I talk praise about you that I'll open up and share all my secrets?"

"No, I don't expect. You are very stubborn." All Might retaliated peaceably. "I am here to simply try to learn anything I can about your boy. I do intend to bring him in under the hopes of rehabilitation."

Akaguro sighed frustratedly. "Weren't you listening a minute ago? I'm not-"

"Related to the child, yes I was." Toshinori raised his hands placatingly. "I heard you, and I believe you on that point. I too have one student in particular who I reflexively call my own son as well."

Chizome's face melted from aggravation to polite surprise. "So you know what it's like to want to protect that kid as if he was actually your own?"

He nodded slowly, grimly. "I do. And I assume that need to protect has some part to do with his return promise?"

Stain stiffened. "How do-?"

"Young Iida and Todoroki both told me of what you and your kid have said about some promise to keep hero students safe. You said you simply promised to keep them alive to Iida, and Shoto and your kid met by chance in the mall where he said that, as they are similar in that they both are the new generations of their respective beliefs, you and he exchanged promises; one to keep hero students alive, and another he wouldn't speak about." Looking coolly at his captive, Toshinori displayed no fear, only concern for the boy in question. "I assume it is some measure to protect him. Does he not have any other family?"

Akaguro was silent for a moment, pushing his tongue around in his cheek while he thought on how to answer. He finally spoke. "She died not long ago, and he never came home again."

All Might's shoulders slumped as he understood what was implied in the vague statement. "His parents?" Akaguro gave the barest hint of a nod, affirming the answer that Izuku was effectively an orphan. "All the more reason then to push for rehabilitation."

"If you can get your hands on him, in the right circumstance," Chizome looked Toshinori in the eyes, one eyebrow delicately raised "I imagine he won't protest too greatly."

All Might, who had been in the middle of standing, halted. He set his confused gaze back on Akaguro. "Right circumstance?"

Stain gave a defeated sigh. "Knowing him as I do, he's probably got this big dramatic plan that he's going to use to determine his actions from here on out. If it's successful or he wins, he'll probably stay right where he is, keeping the cause in motion. If he fails or the result is less than desirable, he'll probably come quietly." He looked back to a surprised Toshinori. "If you force him before he is ready, and take him in, you'll just have a lifeless doll on your hands, and rehabilitation would be a joke."

"He'll wager so much on one event that it'd have such an effect on him?"

Stain gave a morbid half smile. "You'd crush his spirit. Again." He looked away, signaling the end of the conversation. All Might, more distraught than before, slowly walked out.

He'd hurt the child before?

He felt, as much as his students did, that this boy had encountered him before he had been taken to the darkness. That boy had left a mark, as it had on everyone else, but All Might couldn't place the feeling of recognition to a single face or person.

\- Back at the apartment -

Izuku gazed down at the assembled devices. He had all he needed, and extras he'd thought of. He rolled the remote control in his hands, an empty feeling filling his chest.

He was really doing this. He was going to fight All Might, his former idol, and he was trying to win.

He'd tested his plan several times before. Equipped on the wrecked beach with a special noise canceling headset, he had let the chaos loose and was quite pleased with his result. With as many as he was planning to use on All Might, it should be enough.

Amazing how something usually so helpful could turn into something so destructive. He smiled in memory of the chaos, birds flying away and falling from shock at his creation that he could barely hear due to his headset. As he remembered who he was planning to unleash this chaos on however, his smile faded.

Izuku was almost unsure if he could go through with this dramatic and ambitious plan.

"Maybe I should just turn myself in...? Surely they'd let me see Master before they throw me in a padded cell for my life."

Izuku could feel a ghost of a hand thwacking him on the back of his head, imagining his Master's irate voice. 'Giving up you little pansy? You haven't even tried yet! You've come this far, don't you dare quit on me now.' Memories of his young days under Akaguro flashed behind his closed eyes. Falling to the floor as his weak body rebelled under the strain of his rigorous training. Being constantly tested and pushed until he was sick or passed out.

He was being tested and pushed now, just in a different way. He'd still make his Saviour and Father proud, and prove everyone else wrong, even if he failed.

He drew in a confident breath, pushing backwards and standing to his sore feet. He quickly placed the remote control down on the work table and strode out of the room. He laid down on his bed, cutting slices of cheese off of a block and chewing slowly while he waited for his sleeping pills to kick in.

He'd go through with his plan, victory or failure.

A/N

So. Next up is the throwdown, and honestly, I know what I want to do, but I don't know how to divvy up the chapters. That may take me a while to figure out, but I'll still be doing my best to get chapters out w/out huge gaps inbetween.

Viate, no. But they do meet again before the end of this book. Also, I'm sorry I forgot to acknowledge your previous comment. Their current party consists of Izu, Dabi, Spinner, Woods, and Stain. He will occasionally in the future temporarily recruit members of the League, but I don't think it's ever going to be really discussed in book, and they all do eventually know.

Hardcasekara, the above also covers part of your comment. As for hero hunting, after All Might the book is almost essentially over. But don't worry, it's not the end (I have promised a bk3 after all) and heroes such as mt lady or skyline and the like do get their well deserved justice. Midnight, despite her concern for children, is still too unredeamable in my, and therefore Izu's, eyes, and does also feel the weight of her actions. Plus, part of her recompense was simply that she was at the wrong spot at the wrong time.

Darcry, no, sadly, but that would be nice. I'm planning on making a oneshot comp just for this au and I'll try to make a chapter or two for that.

So, I believe that's all dears. So long lovies!


	14. The Challenge

He should have predicted this was the ultimate goal. The increased villain activity, all three happening close to his location, seemed far too strategically planned. Small time criminals being harder to bring down than anticipated as they fought back against him all seemed too perfectly instigated. Reports of sightings of the boy, civilians swearing up and down that he tried to rob them. His reserves of power slowly being used up.

And now, All Might was glaring up at a screen in a thronging city, Milions of civilian onlookers watching as Stain's Apprentice dominated every screen in Japan. His broadcasting wasn't limited to only his country this time however. It stretched to every major capital in the world, was live streaming on media sites such as YouTube, and was hacking into many more.

"Why hello All Might!" Stain's Apprentice greeted the number one pro hero with an exceptionally happy tone, as if discussing a lovely day. "I hear you've been having a busy day!"

"So all that was you huh? Should've known."

Izuku hummed. "Yes, you should have, and do stop moving so much, I'm trying to focus a camera on you." A second later, the screen split in two, revealing All Might's enraged features. "There, that's better!"

"Stop playing child. What is it you want?"

Izuku leaned back from the camera, settling more comfortably in his chair. His iconic coat was draped over his shoulders as he sat in full gear. "You think I'm playing All Star? Not at all. I will not treat this as lightly as I did Endeavor."

All Might blanched, remembering the damage done to Enji and how thoroughly this child had destroyed him and his empire. "You call that treatment 'light'?"

Izuku's tone revealed that he was smirking, though his mask hid his face. "I do enjoy some well dished poetic justice. But," he reached upwards, throwing his hood back and pulling off his goggles "Endeavor is not the subject of matter here."

All Might was surprised. "Your eyes are green? All my students who have seems your eyes said they were shocking yellow, and why show them to me?"

Izuku sighed. "Your students all said that I have yellow eyes, because that's what they saw. No one in this quirk obsessed world ever remembers that colored contact irises still exist." All Might looked in suspicion at the boy's lovely green eyes, a trying to remember a face. Izuku noticed the look and laughed. "What's with that face? Going to interrogate every green eyed person in this over populated world? Good luck!"

All Might sighed, abandoning his attempt in favor to bring try and bring their conversation back on track. "Child."

Izuku rambled quickly on. "You know, there's a model group in Russia, all of them have various body parts or their whole body made from precious metals or gems."

"Kid-"

He picked up speed, enjoying how easily he was finding it to rile up the hero. "One of them has, you guessed it, solid emerald eyes. They're quite stunning to look at honestly, I'm a rather big fan." He said this all quickly, batting his own sparking emeralds and holding a gloved hand to his mask covered mouth.

"That's enough." All Might snapped, looking quite crossed. Izuku tutted and wagged a finger.

"Tsk tsk. Never tell a genious to shut up."

All Might sighed, spreading his arms wide. "Why show me your eyes? What is your point in all of this?"

Dropping his pettiness, Izuku looked somber once again. "Why? It's so we can look each other in the eyes, as best we can given the current situation, and you can see that I am not lying. I am entirely serious."

The silence dragged on for a moment, All Might swallowing nervously. Izuku's eyes were hard as diamond, and Toshinori did indeed find them captivating.

"I, am not coming to you as Stain's Apprentice today. Right now, what I'm doing, what I'm going to do, is just me. No one and no thing else." He took time for a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Any guesses as to why I have orchestrated all of this?"

All Might drew his mouth into a line, looking grim. "To challenge me. A fight." Izuku nodded. "Surely you know that almost certainly means defeat for you? Why risk this all?"

'So this is what Stain meant by the child's deciding plan.' Toshinori grit his teeth at his own train of thought as the boy moved to respond. 'Risky indeed.'

"What does it matter? My motives fall by the wayside when you consider the stakes." He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Care for me to list them?"

"Please do." All Might growled, ignoring the murmurs of the nearby pedestrians.

Izuku kicked his feet up onto the desk, keeping them out of the way of the camera. "Honestly, you have more at stake than I do. Significantly more in fact." He spread his arms out, gesturing to emphasize his words. "If you win, you get everything. I'll come quietly, you'll get to poke and prod me, you'll get my brain, my notes, my creations. I will live quietly, complacent, never to take another's life." Izuku started swiveling in his chair, spinning a full circle. "You have everything to gain, but so do I. If I win, it'll prove I'm not some disillusioned kid who is blindly following a path he doesn't understand." He stopped and sat forward in the chair, pointing a finger at the screen. "I am right, and you all will see that, wether I win or not."

'He really has bet everything on this. I am beginning to fear for his mental stability.' All Might worried quietly as Izuku spelled out what was at stake for each of them.

"If we both have everything to gain, and I have countless lives to lose, what would be you loss should I win."

Chuckling lightly, Izuku held his finger up, a mad glint in his eye. "Ahh, there's the kicker. I, have nothing left to lose. The only stable adult figure I have left is rotting in a cell in Tartarus. I've neatly closed off my life here on the wrong side of the law, so, should I fail, there will be no more loose ends. I've done all I can do as his apprentice, Endeavor being my finishing wax seal. What do I have to lose?" He relaxed and went back to spinning in the chair. "The crux of the issue is if you will fight me or not."

He kept spinning around while he waited for All Might to respond. He knew, that since he was surrounded by the mobs of civilians who belived in him so much, All Star couldn't refuse. It'd be too shameful and cowardly for him to do so.

"I accept." Izuku halted his spin, facing halfway away from the camera. He was smiling widely underneath his mask as he sharply turned around. "Where are you?"

An explosion went off in the distance, the sound echoing to the city. "Take a guess, Toshinori Yagi."

All Might's eyes widened, his heart skipping several important beats. As he bent his knees to take off, he heard one last comment from the screens surrounding him.

"Oh, and All Might? No one else."

The screens faded to black.

\- Elsewhere -

Stain was laughing. He had been since his wonderful little idiot had displayed his plan to the world. Something so daring, and not in Stain's name, was just like his son, and he honestly couldn't be more proud. He was still laughing as they dragged him through the halls and into another interrogation room. They didn't get much out of him. He only laughed and repeated "I told you I didn't know what he was doing! My kid's a wild card!"

\- Back With All Might -

He landed heavily in the ruins, looking about for the child. The explosion had led him to one of UA's own training areas for their students,(ironically enough, an area that had been built for the 'hero' teams to find the 'villains') which meant it had caused no harm to anyone. Everything about this spelled out trap, but All Might had no other choice. He was quickly running out of 'OFA juice' and he needed to end this conflict as quickly as possible. He stepped purposely through the rubble littered streets.

He came across a building with a peculiar little contraption sitting outside it. As All Might approached, it stood and walked into the building. It mirrored itself in looks, with a camera on each end of it's body, and several pairs of legs that were capable of walking in every direction. It seemed totally harmless, just a little droid to film both in front and behind of itself.

All Might hesitated outside the large doors, the droid stopping and tilting one camera head in a 'come on let's go' fashion. Toshinori set his jaw, and stepped in.

A/N

Wow, so I got this out much quicker than I thought I would, and you guys had a lot to say.

Spyroflames, no. If Izu is deafeted by AM, he will not go to UA, and I am still unsure of ships for him. The only person I would want to ship him with would be Mei, as they both are obbbsessed with tech, and she'd help ground him to reality. However, I am still unsure if adding this or not, but if I do, it'll be at the end if the 3rd book, or in my specific oneshot comp. So, if I decide to give him a ship, it's gonna be Mei

SombratheWeeb, glad to have you back, and in afraid I don't understand your question. All Might's only plan for izu is to capture him and put him through a rehab effort as, due to the many times Izu has put his own body at risk for the UA students, AM belives that there is still good in izu, which we know there is. If that didn't cover your question, ask again with perhaps a bit more clarity. :)

Hardcasekara, Eri is a good question. Since, as I will explain in a bit, I'm not going to be covering her greatly in the three main books, I'll explain that all here, so spoilers for those of you who care about spoilers.

Izu does indeed save Eri. As Shig and co make a deal with the 8 precepts, izu also makes a deal with Kai. They work together as science and technology partners, in exchange for Eri's freedom. Under the logic of 'why wait for your golden egg to hatch when the next best thing is right in front of you', Kai agrees. Since Kai and Eri were never found out by Mirio and Izu, like in canon, Nighteye doesn't have any verifiable dirt on Kai. Somehow (not sure, haven't fully read manga) Shig finds out about Kai's deal with Izu, and turns on him. He manages to destroy one of Kai's hands before Izu jumps in, and this is where Spinner and Dabi officially separate from the League. Eri is given into the safety of Eraser and Izu occasionally checks into make sure she is happy and healthy.

Reason why I will not be covering it, is because, after the throwdown, there will be a few finishing chapters and then the book ends. Bk3, opens up about 2.5-3 years later, skipping events such as this.

Whoo.

Well that was long. Hope I cleared everything up for you all, have a lovely day, and I'll see you later Lovies.

P.s., predictions on how the throwdown is gonna happen will make my day ;)


	15. Calm Before the Storm

The ever increasingly stressful times, his declining quirk limit, the uncertain saftey of his beloved students, and this very day made All Might feel as though he had aged twenty years as soon as his foot crossed the threshold. His life and career, once certain, now seemed to be far from in his own hands.

He observed the wide room. Littered with small objects and boxes, it seemed as an analogy of his own life to his literate mind. He, like the room, was meant to be grand, but was sparse, filled with little substance. A pedestal, in accordance with his own secrets, stood shrouded by a veil at the center of the floor. Hints at grandeur and well use stained the walls, a mere illusion to purpose and magnificence.

Once amazing, now history.

And so, mind cluttered with thoughts of his life, when the shadow passed just in the corner of his vision, his past flashed before his eyes.

He swung his hand around and behind himself, the figure barely dodging underneath. Stain's Apprentice leapt backwards and clung to the walls, his beloved long knife in his hand. He barely made any sound.

All Might straightened, facing the rouge teen fully. The Apprentice cocked his head to the side slightly in turn.

"Quick movement." All Might praised, "But not quick enough for me."

Izuku dropped to the floor silently. "Oh, I don't hold any delusions of being stronger than you." He slowly started to circle around, All Might continually moving to face him. "I am aware of my own limits."

"Then why face me if you know I am far superior physically?"

Izuku sighed, his shoulders slumping forward fractionally. He had to quickly dodge and propel himself away as All Might rushed him, taking the momentary lapse in concentration.

"Weren't you listening earlier?" Toshinori ducked a flying crate as Izuku landed nimbly on the other side of the room. "I want to prove myself." Izuku slowly lifted his head to stare Toshinori in the eyes behind his own reflective goggles. "And I know how to get what I want."

All Might lowered into a fighting stance, his foot brushing against a small air vent in the floor. "Young boy," he said grimly "I am sorry."

Izuku had barely any time to start. "Sorry? For wh-"

Toshinori sped forward, as fast as his old mentor Gran Torino, and reached for Izuku. It was all the boy could do to duck. Even Stain's immensely rigourious endurance and combat training coupled with Izuku's own techniques, couldn't stand against the true power of All Might, regardless of his weakness. Izuku rolled, ran, and dodged. He sped across the room with his grappling hook, barely missing the hero's clutches. As of yet, neither combatant had laid a finger on the other. The closest they had come was the repeated boxes thrown at each other, or small amounts of sleeping gas Izuku released.

At last, the two were standing apart again, Izuku breathing heavily. Even All Might was panting, but he still stood tall. His young opponent was rooted to the spot in front of the veiled pedestal. Toshinori stayed at a distance, giving the boy a chance to recuperate.

"I don't want to hurt you young man." He spoke gently, as if to a wounded animal. "I want to bring you home. You have people still who love you."

Izuku's head was bowed, and he choked. With a start, All Might realized the child was crying, and it struck him just how far the boy's depression had spiraled out of control. "You think I don't know that?" He reached up, wiping his eyes behind his goggles. "I know they'd take me back. Assuming I'm not thrown in a padded cell for the rest of my life, that is." His hands fell by his sides and he stared out of a window longingly, trapped in a daydream of his past. "I could go home. Auntie would surely protect me above all else. I could be happy, if I am still capable, which I might not be." He slowly turned his head to All Might. "Do you know how hard it is to lose both parental figures? To have to live near on your own?" His head bowed once again, his voice, sounding from all around, was quavering as he gestured brokenly towards his own beating heart. "No one can fill this hole."

All Might's plus Ultra sized heart softened, and he stepped forward tentatively. Izuku made no move to stop the larger man as he reached forward to place a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry my boy. Your master told me about your mother."

To his utter shock however, his hand slid right through Izuku's strong shoulder. The child's image flickered, revealing a mere hologram. The Apprentice's voice sounded from all sides of the room as Toshinori realized he had been duped.

"I'm sorry too, Toshinori." The boy's voice was almost gravelly, sounding distant. "I'm afraid I needed some data on how you fight hand to hand, as you usually end fights so quickly that there isn't much reliable data, and also, to run the timer down." All Might thrust his hand forward as the hologram dissolved and tore away the veil the shrouded the pedestal before him.

It was, indeed, a timer. And it just clicked to zero.

"Hope you understand." Izuku's voice rang out one last time before the building collapsed.

\- outside -

Izuku himself stood outside in the large clearing, the wind from the collapsing building tugging at his coat and hood. He lowered his arm, throwing the now useless remote detonator away. He breathed slowly, purposely, counting the seconds since he had set off the explosives.

'And here's the actually rough part'

Finally, just when Izuku had estimated, All Might exploded out of the building. He flew into the air, coughing dust from his throat, and looked down to see the figure of his opponent standing far below him. As quickly as he had soared, he plummeted, one fist pulled back to land a hard blow on the boy. Izuku pulled his own arms up just in time to block the mighty blow.

Despite this effort, Izuku was thrown backwards into a wall, nearly breaking through the barricade altogether. The pockets hidden along his arms burst from the force of the punch, small devices scattering where Izuku had previously stood.

The air was knocked from Izuku's lungs, and it was only due to his coat that he hadn't become subject to a broken spine. He clung weakly to the wall, glancing up at his opponent and former idol. His enemy looked shocked that he had preformed such an attack on the boy. It was as if he had been half expecting another hologram.

Izuku coughed, lurching forward and firmly planting his feet amongst the rubble. He extended a bo staff in his left hand, his short sword unsheathed in the other. He moved to his right, All Might mirroring his movements as the two circled each other.

Just as Toshinori had an epiphany about the previous combat area, Izuku experienced one of his own concerning the zone he paced in currently. Once homely, lovely, he, like the rubble surrounding him, had been reduced to a barely recognizable wreckage. But both, unlike All Might, would be rebuilt into something grand. He would stand tall and imposing.

Another camera drone slid out of Izuku's pocket, taking flight and hanging above the two. Tension filled the air, Izuku's creations slowly coming to life around All Might's feet. The Apprentice swallowed. 'Now's the time to distract him.' However, All Might began before The Apprentice could speak.

"You're very clever with that building trap young man. Your Master taught you well I see." He begrudgingly praised his opponent, recognising the unending wit and intelligence the boy held. Izuku chuckled at the compliment.

"Why thank you. He has taught me a great many things." He twirled his sword in his right hand, making a flawless circle in the air. All Might's eyes followed the blade, a strange look in his eyes.

"Are you intending to kill me?"

Izuku jerked his head back as they paced, as if shocked by the suggestion. "Kill you? No, don't be obvious. I may want to bring you down, but I would never kill you."

'Wasn't his master always saying that I am the only true hero? Perhaps this child isn't as totally conformed to Stain's ideology as we believe.' All Might mused. "I don't want to have to fight you child. It doesn't have to be like this. You have good in you still, your master hasn't tainted that away yet! You have people waiting over here for you."

Izuku growled, his grip tightening around his weapons. "I've said this before, yet no one listens, do they? I CHOSE to become this. Master never CORRUPTED me. And I see by your expression you do not believe me. Shall I elaborate?" Izuku spat, still walking along his wide circle of a path.

All Might's face slowly turned to a scowl as the boy spoke his words with venom. "Please do."

Complying, Izuku collapsed the baton in his left hand and pocketed it, gesturing as he spoke. "I've known master for over a year now. I met him earlier the same day before I met you. He had mercy and rescued me from a villain I had been caught by. We both walked away from that event as if it was the end of it." Here, Izuku's voice grew darker, and he pointed a long, gloved finger towards Toshinori as he spoke. "That is, until I met you."

All Might swallowed, afraid of the hatred that tainted the young boy's voice. "And just what happened between you and I?"

"Oh, you really still don't remember me yet, do you. Did I make so little an impression? No matter I suppose. You'll remember even if I have to reveal it to the whole world for you to finally put the pieces together." Izuku spoke quietly, as if talking to himself, or to a scared animal. "Since you've so helpfully forgotten, I suppose I'll have to fill you in again. I used to love heroes, you above all others. In the aftermath of another villain attack you found me, and I asked you, so desperately, if I could become a hero regardless of my quirk standing. And what did you do? You, the last person I looked up to, who hadn't yet already crushed my dreams? WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Izuku started yelling again, filled with rage. "YOU TOLD ME TO GIVE UP! JUST AS EVRRYONE ELSE HAD!"

Izuku swung his torso around to point his sword at All Might, stopping in his tracks. "And THAT is when Master found me. Weak. Broken. Originally, all he had wanted was to teach me self defense and what he believed in, and I accepted, but soon, we each learned something special about the other. I had been the first person to look at him, and understand what he was talking about. I had experienced what he had tried to warn the world about first hand. And he, why he was the first to not just look at me like an actual human being, but to look me in the eyes to tell me he believed I could have been."

Stain's Apprentice's voice now shook with new tears, his sword point quivering. "I COULD have been! He believed that I had the heart of a true hero. He BELIVED in me when no one else ever had before. My former best friend, my useless father, the doctor, the teachers, even my own mother." He let his sword drop back to his side, his voice growing stable once more. "In the face of these revelations I knew, I couldn't stand by anymore. I wanted to make a difference with my saviour. Master never corrupted me. I chose to fall so low."

All Might was speechless at Izuku's tale, his heart breaking. But he still found he couldn't place the boy, and it was tearing him apart. All he wanted to to help the child he had apparently broken. He wanted so desperately to fix his horrible mistake.

"And now, it's time you and I settle our grievances All Might." Izuku lowered into a fighting stance, ready to dash forward. His baton was back in his left hand again, fully extended. He was ready for combat. "Neither of us will grow until we're done here!"

The two flew into combat, and the battle began anew.


	16. A Blinding Conclusion

It was the truth that, concerning hand to hand combat, Izuku was at a much greater disadvantage than his opponent. He sucessfully avoided All Might's first few punches, returning with stings from his baton (he was trying to avoid cutting Toshinori), but his luck had to run out sometime. All Might at last landed a blow on the boy, sending him crashing through a plaster wall. Izuku groaned, his vision fading to black for a moment. He shook himself, regaining his feet. This was no time for weakness.

'This is what you get' He thought bitterly. 'You started this, and now you're feeling the weight of your actions' Izuku growled. "Shut up" he ordered himself. He cast a glare to his determined opponent, eyeing the trap that was building itself. It would be done soon, all he had to do now was last out against the greatest hero in Japan.

Simple.

The Apprentice rushed forward, avoiding his carefully placed inventions. All Might cocked his fist back, ready for another attack. The look on the hero's face was strange. It seemed he was truly deeply regretful of the harshness his attacks brought. However, it was this or let the boy win by default, which would destroy the both of them. He blocked the baton, but didn't expect Izuku to finally attack with his sword after his stingy use of the deadly weapon. The blade cut a clean, long nick on Toshinori's left side, at the area of his old wound. He spun around with a gasp, one hand on his bleeding side, as Izuku skid to a stop himself and turned. A steady drip of blood ran off of the juvenile's blade. The two regarded each other, breathing heavily.

All Might eyed his own blood warily. He wondered if the the boy's quirk had something to do with blood, as his master's was. "How come you never seem to use your quirk in battle? Is it akin to your master's and we just haven't seen? Or is it simply illogical to use it out of home?" He asked, voicing his curiosity.

Izuku groaned, shoulders slumping and weapons drooping. "Again with my quirk. No one can shut up about it for five minutes or realize the obvious, can they?" He stood closer to his full height, disdain clear in his young voice. "Maybe it's teleportation, or mechanical based, or enhanced speed and strength, or something concerning consuming blood, like Master's. I've even heard one person say it was clinging to walls." He brought his sword point up, gesturing with it slightly as he spoke. "But, has anyone, EVER considered, that I might just be quirkless?"

Izuku chuckled darkly at All Might's shocked expression. "No. They haven't. Why? Because you need a quirk to do anything in this world, don't you?" His voice grew heavy, filled with a malice similar to the one he voiced back at Hosu. "What are the quirkless? Rejects! Failures! What have they ever done, aside from the near seven thousand years of existence without quirks! The basis of modern society!" His voice grew until he was shouting, arms outstretched and face turned up to the sky slightly, reflexively dropping his baton. "They're useless! Why, in fact! They should just swan dive off of the school building, SHOULDN'T THEY?!"

Izuku screamed the last words, rushing All Might once again. The stunned hero reacted instinctively, years of fighting against much older and more experienced fighters overriding his withdrawn attacks against the child. As Izuku drew near, Toshinori's hand flew up, curled in a fist. They both realized, too late, where this blow would land.

Stain's Apprentice had barely enough time to pull his head back enough, hand still reaching out to Toshinori, screwing his eyes shut as All Might's fist collided with the edge of his goggles.

\- UA dorms -

It was taking most of his classmates to restrain Bakugo at this point. Kirishima had pinned him down, Sero and Shoto helping, and Uraraka had used her quirk on him, but it all was barely enough. He thrashed and screamed, so loud that Aizawa barged into the dorm and helped to restrain him.

Quirkless, told to jump off of a roof, all of the similarities, no one had belived in him.

It was true. It was Izuku.

Izuku was the villain on the screen. The one who had personally gone out of his way to save Bakugo and others in his class. The one who had judo flipped him those months ago in the alleyway. The one just punched in the face by All Might.

It was Izuku.

He'd done this to Izuku.

Uraraka was in tears watching him struggle and thrash, trying to hold his head still. "Katsuki, please! What's wrong?" She tried to pull his head into her lap, but he was fighting too hard to stay put. Katsuki was crying too now, needing to go to Izuku.

Bakugo screamed, Izuku's name ringing throughout the dorm as Izuku's own scream of pain ripped from the television screen.

\- Back at the battle -

All Might's fist had barely clipped the side of Izuku's goggles, but with his strength it was more than enough. The glass shattered, outwards and in. Izuku landed his palm on Toshinori before he was blown away however, and an electric jolt from his gloves at full power knocked the pro away with the same force Izuku was blown back with.

As the heavy blood rushed down Izuku's face, he wasted no time for the pain. He ripped the empty shell of his goggles off, screaming as his fingers came into rough contact with specks of glass. Tears were flowing as strongly as blood, but Izuku still moved. He had no other choice. He hastily, blindly reached into his coat, pulling free a bandage roll with the same healing properties as his cloths. Izuku began rapidly and tightly wrapping it around his eyes. The last thing he saw before the bandages fully obscured his vision, was All Might, horrified, standing and reaching out to him in vain from across the battle field. Then, his vision finally went dark.

The light tingling sensation and smell of mint did nothing to still Izuku's heart, which was beating as fast as a rabbit's. His breath hitched and he oddly hiccuped. He felt the floor tentatively for his sword, gripping the reassuring hilt.

Izuku was scared. He was terrified. He could very well lose his eyesight today. He had never felt more alone and helpless.

To Toshinori, Izuku made for a traumatizing sight. Haggard, weak, with blood already soaking through the bandages covering his possibly ruined eyes. His opened mouth, quivering in fear.

He, All Might, the Symbol of Peace and Hope to the world, had made this broken boy. He thought he could bring the lonely Apprentice home, but he had only damaged the child further. His heart tore in two as the boy stood shakily, whimpering quietly as his legs barely supported his weight.

"Where are you?" The boy whispered in the still air. His weak voice carried easily, but still he spoke again, louder, with more strength. "Where ARE you?"

Toshinori almost lost hold of his quirk just then, having reached his time limit. Steam vented from his muscles with a hiss, and he knew he couldn't sustain this form much longer. His only chance now was to talk Izuku into surrendering. Instead of a plea to surrender, all that came out of his mouth was an astonished "How are you still standing?"

Izuku's head snapped to All Might, pinpointing his exact location. His brain whirled, calling upon his mental map and precise memory. If he was correct, then the hero of his childhood was right where Izuku wanted him; standing right in the middle of his trap. Listening for the unique hissing sound, Izuku almost managed to quirk the edges of his mouth up in what could have been a smile.

Izuku took a step forward, then immediately fell to his knees and retched violently, scarcely pulling his mask off in time. His breakfast made a disgusting splatter on the concrete floor, the sounds of All Might taking a step forward to help him echoing. Izuku threw his hand up. "Stay back!" He ordered, and to his surprise, the hero obeyed. Stain's Apprentice wiped his mouth free of bile, grimacing down at the pile of sick. "I can't keep one good meal down, can I?"

Slowly, with more effort that he should have been able to muster, Izuku climbed to his heavy feet once more. He stepped over his forcefully removed breakfast, towards a petrified All Might. "Master taught me well in endurance. I'll never stop, not until I die." He wiped away a drop of blood that leaked from his bandages. "Well, maybe Master didn't teach me that. I think he just expanded the reaches of how far I can go."

Tears of grief and shock escaped Toshinori's own eyes at the horrid sight before him, the first time he had cried in years. "It doesn't have to be this way my boy! Please, stop this madness!" The emotion in his voice shocked him, but it didn't seem to impact the boy, other than to aggravate him further.

"Haven't you been listening?" Izuku stumbled his next few steps, catching himself clumsily. "I can't just quit! You helped to make me by destroying my hope! Stop trying to take the easy way out!" Izuku continued before All Might could beg how, reaching into a pocket with bloodied fingers. He pulled out another remote, raising it into the air with a heavy hand. "That year ago, in the aftermath of that villain attack, you found me. I had asked you, and you said no. 'Could a one become a hero without a quirk? No, you should think not.'" Izuku spat his paraphrase of All Might's own words back at his face.

A soft whisper echoed through the empty arena, perfectly audible though it was little more than a breath. "No, it- you can't be,"

Izuku finally smiled. It was a sad, broken smile, his shoulders rolling forward now that he knew that All Might remembered him. "Now you remember me." Izuku shook his head, hand clutching the remote still hanging in mid air. "You broke my heart All Might. Now, I've broken yours."

His thumb pressed the button on his remote.

All Might wasn't surrounded by debris as he thought. Clustered around him stood half a dozen portal receptors, more thrown on their sides. Ten to fifteen portal marbles lay scattered about and at the remote's command, they all burst to life. The close proximity, coupled with the immense energy required for only one portal, released a hell upon Toshinori, who stood in the middle.

He screamed, sound and energy ripping through his body, fighting for his quirk. He barely saw Izuku running towards him, one gloved fist pulled backwards and ready to strike. He brought his own up in the nick of time, and their fists collided.

The resulting winds, the portals screaming out of existence, and the power in the two blows, threw them both back like rag dolls once again. Neither moved for a long moment. The battered camera drone flew above, finally exposing All Might's weak form. It was hard to tell from the screens if either combatant was breathing.

The drone focused in on the first sign of movement, viewers everywhere holding their breath. Even Katsuki had stilled from his fit, gazing open mouthed. The figure, clad in clothes that seemed to hang off of him, pulled his hand into a fist, digging trenches in the dust. Painfully, slowly, he pulled his arm in, pushing upward and letting his head drop. He attempted to repeat the same with his right arm, but gasped as the broken limb grated and throbbed. He abandoned his right arm, choosing instead to drag one leg underneath his torso. He grasped a nearby boulder, pushing himself up with an impossible strength. His other foot was underneath himself now.

He stood, uncertainly, weakly, cradling his broken arm against his chest. He looked over to his opponent, peering through a lucky slit in his swollen eyes, the other man still unconscious.

Izuku Midoriya stood his ground.

He had won.

He looked down at his arm, collapsing onto the the boulder. His glove had been torn to pieces and had been blown off somewhere, revealing the serious break in his arm. The sight of bone didn't even faze him at this point. With a snap, he put the bone back into its place. Izuku didn't feel the pain, too in shock to feel anything. He drapped a healing cloth over the wound and staggered to his former idol. Toshinori Yagi was beginning to stir, and the first sight he saw was the bandaged face of a young boy, no older than his own student, smiling weakly down at him, offering his left hand to help him up.

Silently, Toshinori took the hand, and was dragged to his own feet. Izuku weak smile remained, tears leaking through his bandages. "I did it, didn't I?" He almost asked it, as if uncertain of his own victory.

All Might nodded. "You did my boy."

Izuku, much to Toshinori's shock, collapsed to his knees once again, overcome with emotions. He was bowing, face almost pressed to the dust as sobs wracked his infirm body. "I'm so sorry!" His voice was guttural, the full weight of his actions pressing onto him through his blanketing depression. "I've done so much! I'm- I'm so-" his voice choked off as he was physically unable to continue speaking anymore.

It was Toshinori's turn to pull Izuku to his feet and wrap his own frail arms about the boy. "Don't worry my boy. This all is my fault, and I have forgiven you."

The two hobbled into the nearest building, sitting in wait for aid from the heroes. By the time the healers had arrived, which hadn't been long, Izuku had already nearly passed out. He was incapable of protesting as old Recovery Girl and an assistant dragged him to a makeshift hospital room away from Toshinori. They hooked him up to a gas tank, and his world finally slipped into peaceful darkness.

Soon, Bakugo had arrived. Immediately after the victor had been made clear and the two shambled to safety he had been let free. It had taken him longer to reach the ruin facility as he had no idea where the battle had taken place, but he found it nonetheless. By the time Katsuki had arrived and grasped All Might's shaking hand, Izuku was already deep into emergency surgery, removing small shards of glass from around his eyes before the healing properties of his cloths sealed them in. He had been lucky that no glass had touched his eyes, the surrounding areas having been cut alone.

Another nurse and healer refused to allow Bakugo into the room, and it was only due to Toshinori's persuasion that he didn't blast her out of his way and get to Izuku.

The wait, though surely only 15 minutes, seemed an excruciating eternity for Katsuki and Toshinori but at last, he was allowed in.

Izuku was lying, still aside from the rise and fall of his chest, on a table, breathing mask and IV hooked onto his body. His right arm was in a cast, and fresh bandages were applied to his eyes. Katsuki sat in a chair, lost in a daze. Barely in control of his actions, he reached forward and grabbed Izuku's weak and scarred hand in his own.

Emotions washed over Bakugo and he bent over, resting his head near his friend's inert body, his own tears soaking into the sheets. He sobbed, apologizing to one who was nearly catatonic. He begged Izuku for forgiveness for everything he had ever done; every word, every action. Katsuki's voice was jarring, akin to a wounded animal as he continued to cry.

He slowly hiccuped to a stop, still holding Izuku's hand. The hand twitched, fingers weakly trying to hold Katsuki's. He gasped as a tiny and weak voice spoke in the room.

"Kacchan?"

A/N

WADDUP MY DEARS! TWO WEEKS, MUCH HELP FROM WRITER FRIENDS, AND I'VE DONE IT! AND WITH A CLIFFIE!

Ahhhhh, this feels so good! I'm almost to the end of my baby! And that applies for the trilogy too. The third book is going to be REALLY short. Like, honestly, I think we'll be lucky if we reach 10 chapters in Destiny. But that's what the one shot comp is gonna be for. A possibly unlimited (actually I doubt that but who knows) source of more Cruel. Hooray.

I don't think there were any questions, and I'm in too much of an emotion high rn to remember any anyways.

2-3 chapters left dears! Prep yourselves and so long my wonderful Lovies!


	17. I'm not Done yet

Kastuki gasped. A small slice of green was visible between the wrappings covering Izuku's face. The broken boy breathed in deeply, his face lighting up with pure joy, something he hadn't been able to summon since his mother had died.

"Kacchan, I'm so glad to see you!" Izuku smiled widely. He hadn't been truly happy to see his old tormentor since long before Middle School. "I've missed you!"

Katsuki choked, fat tears rolling off of his cheeks. He jumped forward, unashamedly crushing Izuku in a bear hug. The recipient grunted as his incredibly sore body protested at the jarring movement, but soon relaxed into it. Katsuki was the first to speak, grunting out his words.

"Izuku, I'm, I'm SORRY! EVERYTHING I DID I-" His voice voice cut him off with a horse choke. His fists tightened around Izuku's shoulders, though he made sure to place as little pressure as he could on the frail body. "I'VE, I'VE TOLD EVERYONE BUT YOU! I THOUGHT I'D LOST YOU!"

Izuku stopped Katsuki, fumbling around with his left hand until it latched on the others shoulder. He slowly and weakly pushed Bakugo back, still smiling through his own tears. "Katsuki? I moved past this over a year ago. I should be the one apologizing! Look at the evils I've done, even to you all! I ran away!"

Katsuki shook his head, denying the easy way out of his troubles. "No! I PUSHED you to come this far! If - it was because of me that no one ever believed in you! No one ever cared! It - this all, it comes back down to me!" His voice was gutteral, grinding. "This is all MY FAULT! I WISH I HAD NEVER BEEN BORN! YOU COULD'VE-"

The slap echoed through the room, the sting shocking Katsuki into stunned silence. Izuku looked shocked as well, though at Katsuki, not his own actions.

"Never, say, that, again." His voice was quiet and his chest rose and fell rapidly with his painted breaths. "Did our childhoods influence my decision? Yes. Yes they very well did! But I. Had. A. Choice! I am no one's fault but my own!" Izuku pushed Katsuki back a little further, slowly sitting up in the bed. He pointed a dangerous finger into Katsuki's face. "I wouldn't have had an easier life without you Kacchan. Someone just as worse or more than you would have been there if you hadn't. And now, I am doing something with the life I have, and you have always been my inspiration to keep going, even when you cut me down." His hand fell down to his knees once again, and he peeked through his bandages. "Never wish that again. Please."

Bakugo was stunned.

Izuku, still thought of him like that? After more than ten years of physical and mental abuse? Katsuki was still his amazing Kacchan?

Luckily for his pride, Bakugo was saved from any form of responce by Recovery Girl walking into the room. Izuku, who could only hear her, snatched Katsuki's hand, looking toward the door and far above her head. "Kacchan? Who's there?"

Bakugo turned, smiling at the old woman as his own shoulders relaxed. "Oh, it's just Recovery Girl. UA's school nurse. She's the one who patched you up."

She click-clacked he way to the bedside as Izuku let out a small "oh". RG poked Katsuki in the leg with her cane. "Indeed I am young Midoriya. Now be a gentleman Bakugo and give an old lady her seat."

Katsuki obeyed, pulling his hand free of Izuku's and allowed the old pro to make herself comfortable near Izuku.

"So, you know who I am now? Who else does?" Izuku asked, worried.

She smiled and patted his hand. "We three, Toshinori, no doubt 1-A, and my assistant, who I made swear to not tell, are the only ones I know of." She sent a glance to Bakugo. "You should do the same to you class Bakugo, if Aizawa hasn't already."

He nodded as Izuku let out a shaky breath. "You all, are working to keep who I am secret? Why?"

Recovery Girl turned her head back to Izuku. "Well, we do want you to live a normal civilian life once again, don't we? Can't have your name tainted by your vigilantism."

Izuku frowned, shaking his head. "What? No. I'm not coming back yet."

"WHAT?!" Bakugo shouted, thrown completely off guard. Here Izuku was, half dead, alone with his master in prison, less than a meter away from Katsuki, and he wasn't coming back? "OH YES YOU ARE!"

Izuku turned to Katsuki, unfazed. "No. Hasn't anyone been paying attention to anything I've said? If I had won the battle, which I did, I'd stay right where I was! I've proven that I'm worthy to be doing this! I can't go back! Not yet!"

Katsuki's fists tightened. "IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN?!"

"Boys please," Recovery Girl tried to intervene, but Izuku shouted right over her.

"I don't know! I've things to do still Kacchan, don't you remember?!"

"You're bringing that back up!" Katsuki asked incredulously. "Is that just your escape answer for everything?!"

"Enough!" With two sharp cracks, Girl's cane collided with Izuku's hand and Katsuki's head. "Back down, the both of you!" Izuku blinked, slowly sinking back down into the bed from where he had started to rise. Recovery Girl turned her head back to Izuku, looking sadly at him. "Are you sure you won't reconsider? You'd receive the best possible treatment for your eyes, and I'm sure accommodations and keeping your true identity out of the media could be easily provided."

He shook his head, resolute in his decisions. "I'm certain." Katsuki looked on in distress as Izuku smiled gently and Recovery Girl nodded.

"Very well. I still feel I must advise against it for your own health, but I cannot stop you." Izuku wanted to disagree, she was pretty good with that cane, but she continued. "Now, as for your eyes. Me and my assistant did our best, but there was still heavy damage done." The two teens swallowed, nervous for the outcome. "For the most part, you will keep your vision, but no doubt there will be limitations. Seeing as you won't be around for me to examine you," he shifted under her dirty look "I cannot tell what those will be. Regardless, for these first few weeks you'll have to give your eyes as much rest as possible. Little bright sunlight, next to no electronics, and no heavy reading."

Izuku nodded along, making mental notes for reference. It seemed his work was going to be postponed until he could find a way around being half blind. Knowing himself, it shouldn't be that hard. If he could defeat the strongest hero totally blind, everyone else should, in theory, be significantly easier.

At Recovery Girl's question he repeated everything she had just said, proving that he had memorized her instructions. She nodded, at least partly satisfied, and opened her bag. "Now, they may have cooled off slightly, but I had these brought over for you and Toshi, and an extra for Bakugo as I was certain someone else would need one." She pulled out a cup of cheesy noodles with veggies and a water bottle, and handed them to Izuku. She pulled out the other for Katsuki, who took them in surprise.

Izuku hadn't realized how hungry he was and greedily shoved the food into his mouth. Given how little he could see, he kept spilling and missing his mouth, but honestly? He didn't care. At that moment it tasted like heaven, and he had eaten the whole cup in under a minute. After chugging down the water bottle, Izuku took a second for a deep breath and realized the other two occupants were silently staring at him.

"What?"

"Hungry, were you?" Recovery Girl asked slowly, amused.

Izuku chuckled, pointing to the wall that paralleled the empty battlefield. "I lost breakfast out there. I lost a perfectly good bowl of cereal." Girl joined him in his mirth as Katsuki kept eating slowly. Satisfied, Izuku moved to hop off of the bed. "Welp. Time for me to leave before the cops that just entered in the next room over try to arrest me." His boots made a solid thunk in the floor and he stretched, seemingly not at all hindered by his injuries.

"You should not be moving yet! Rest boy!" Recovery Girl protested, but Izuku didn't listen.

"I can rest in my own bed." He flicked a spare marble onto the floor, the portal opening smoothly. "It now is only a couple meters away." He turned to face Katsuki, trying his best to smile reassuringly. "See you, Kacchan."

And then he was gone again.

Gone, just as quickly as last time.

Katsuki fell backwards, shock settling in. He had been so close to having Izuku back. He could have reached out and kept him by force. But Izuku was gone again.

How could he explain this to his mother? His classmates?

How could he forgive himself?

Recovery Girl's and Toshinori's (who had just entered) voices were quiet in his ears as he pulled his knees up to his face and rocked back and forth.

He'd failed to bring Izuku home.

\- meanwhile, across Japan -

Izuku's facade of strength gave out almost as soon as both feet were through the portal. He stumbled, began to fall, and was caught by strong arms. As he was cradled against a familiar chest, Izuku relaxed instantly.

"Touya," he breathed "thank goodness."

"Izuku what-? How bad-?" Touya stuttered, Spinner standing behind him awkwardly.

"Tell you later." Izuku mumbled as he yawned, tapping his friend's shoulder. "Need to sleep right now. And you two probably need to get back to the league." Izuku groaned at the two's immediate protests. "Guys, I'll still be here! They're going to be having a fit and if we're to be keeping your affiliation with me a secret, then you two need to get your butts over there!" They were silenced, and izuku started trying to get his feet underneath himself. "First though, help me to my bed. Imma'bout to pass out."

Touya had to almost drag Izuku to the bedroom, the latter half asleep before he even finished his rant. Smiling as he was tucked in, Izuku sleepily muttered "it's gonna be rough Toy" before he was deeply asleep.

A/N

So. Apparently, you dorks, despite all of the spoilers I was basically spoonfeeding you, actually thought, that I had finished his vigilante career. Hehehe. YOU WERE WRONG! How's he supposed to save Eri and hold up a very lucrative business with Overhaul of he ain't still on the wrong side of the law? How am I supposed to write one of the best brotps ever of him and Dabi unless they still killing peeps together? Why would dabs and spins get kicked out of the league if izu is gone? And I've literally promised a third book that is the most likely (I think) to make you peeps cry (At the beginning at least)

How did you guys get to this conclusion?! Don't get me wrong, I'm finding it extremely hillarious, I'm just totally confused.

Technically, I COULD, have had him go home here, but there's so much more suffering if he stays! But who knows. More ideas for the one shot amirite?

Now, comments. WHOO BOI did you guys go nuts!

Canadianblitz(I'm calling you CadB from know on), I always though that AM was the strongest (and #1) hero of the world. I mean I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he is so that's how I wrote it. If I am definitely proven wrong, I'll go back and change that. Also I loved letting him let loose with his anger too. Not only is that just satisfying (especially when you consider his tendency to bottle emotions (relatable, I do that same)) it's going to inspire A LOT of people. Those with "villainous" quirks like Shinso, the quirkless on mass, deforming/ugly quirks, and those kind hearted souls who have been inspired by izu or know someone from one of the other categories.

Also, I'm glad you list this so high. It makes my day! I actually LOVE Apotheosis! It's probably my #1. I mentioned it in the first chapter's AN of Irony I think. I'll keep your list in mind, but I am usually caught up in my own reading/too tired to read someone else's unless it's one I've already read and they've updated.

Hardcasekara, Dadmight does kind've happen, but it's not too prominent. Daddy Stain is the big deal here and I love it. And as I mentioned above, this is a big deal for the quirkless and others.

Sombra, you have no idea how happy your comment made me. I made someone cry? I am still on cloud nine over this and I will probably never get off. I'm too happy for such a being a terrible person. Deku Bunny is going to be plenty sad tho.

Again, I'm over the moon that you like my writing so much. I do try to improve my writing wherever I can, so it's super satisfying to see the fruit of that.

Mystery man and everyone else, thanks for making sure I kept up with this story and didn't forget it.

You all are absolutely amazing and I love you all to death and back. And with that sentimental ending, so long Lovies!


	18. Cracked

Katsuki was near catatonic. Changes and revelations were being made around him but he barely blinked an eye. Scared parents had been pulling their students from hero schools. Some, as Mineta, had pulled themselves out out of cowardice. Many however either convinced their parents to let them stay or were egged on to pursue heroism.

Katsuki's parents found out. His class was in shock. His mentors, Toshinori and Aizawa, tried their best to talk him out of his mood. Ochako would come and sit with him, sometimes putting his head in her lap and running her fingers through his hair.

It was all sweet, and he did appreciate their efforts, but it didn't change anything.

Izuku was a villain. A cold blooded killer. One who has maimed and destroyed.

And, no matter what he had said, it was Katsuki's fault for pushing Izuku so hard and far as he had.

It still came back down to his actions.

Uraraka entered his room, a bowl of food and the first day's homework in her hands and a gentle smile on her face. School had started again, but Katsuki had refused to get out of bed. Aithusa sat perched on her shoulder, looking down at Katsuki in curiosity.

"Hey there 'Suki." She greeted, using her fond nickname for him. "Brought the homework and some food for you. I tried to take good notes too." She set what she carried on the floor, sliding onto his bed and settling his head in her lap as usual. She pulled the books and food up, arranging them on the covers. Hopping down and curling up on his chest, Aithusa made herself at home. "Aizawa wasn't happy that you didn't show y'know. He thinks you need to, as he said, accept it and move on."

Katsuki grunted, fingering the mechanical dragon's nose. "Did he?" He rolled his gaze upwards, looking Uraraka in the eye. "And what do you think?"

Ochako sighed, swallowing and gathering her courage. "I agree, honestly. It's been over a week Katsuki! There's no point in keeping this up! I know you want him back, all of our nightly scoutings point to that. You've worked so hard to bring him home, so why-" Her voice quavered, lip trembling. She drew in a sharp breath through her nose, fighting off tears desperately. "Oh, what's the point."

She stood up roughly, the books tumbling to the floor and Katsuki's head crashing down onto the bed. He pushed himself upwards in surprise, Aithusa flapping to the window with an indignant squawk. He watched Uraraka in shock pace about his room once, twice.

"What do you mean? What's what point?"

She stopped in the center of his room, pointing an emotional finger into his face. "You!" She snapped. "I understand that you're in pain Katsuki, but you're being unreasonable! You think this hasn't hurt any of the rest of us?"

He growled, trying to hide the emotion in his eyes. He hadn't really thought about how anyone else might have been feeling over Izuku's fall. All that he could focus on was how "It's, he's MY fault, Uraraka! I created him! How do you think that's hurt ME?!"

He didn't mean to yell at her, make her flinch, she'd been so kind and honest with him, but he was losing control of himself.

Her gaze hardened. She turned on her heel, walking briskly to the door. "Fine. I'm leaving."

He started backwards, head jerking back painfully. "What?"

"You don't want to listen to me, or reason, so I'll just leave and leave alone since you can't stand me. See if you ever get anywhere."

The hurt in her voice cut through him, shocking him. He instantly regretted his actions and called as her hand touched the door knob.

"Wait!"

Surprisingly, she did, turning her head the barest degree. He stepped up quickly, laying his hand gently on her shoulder. She critiqued it with a raised brow as Aithusa watched on silently.

"'Chako, I'm sorry. My actions, I really haven't been thinking about you guys." She turned slightly towards him, eyes softening the barest degree (she was extremely vulnerable for apologies). Uraraka was suspicious however. 'Heartfelt' and 'Katsuki Bakugo' were words that did not belong in the same context together.

It was hard to be suspicious though. He looked truly distraught and torn, big red eyes seemingly nearing tears. But, for the deadpan crap he'd put her and the others through for over a week now, a sincere 'sorry' wasn't particularly going to cut it, especially when she felt there was more to be tacked onto his sentence.

"And?" She prompted. His eyes shifted to the floor, looking guilty and sad.

"I'm sorry, and you all won't have to dealing with my crap anymore." His hand fell off of her shoulder and she turned about slowly to face him.

"Bakugo, where are you going with this?" She asked warily, almost scared.

Bakugo stared straight at the floor, clenching his fists and jaw. "I turned someone into a villain Uraraka, and I claim to want to be a hero. I can't keep this up. I'm pulling myself from UA."

He'd worked it all out. He would tell All Might next, find the next inherited for OFA, and leave. He didn't know what he would do with his worthless life, but he couldn't see any way he could keep up a lie of heroism.

Ochako's hand flew to her mouth in shock. "What? Katsuki no! Please don't say things like that!"

Bakugo fists tightened, his body trembling now. "I'm a hypocrite! How can I be the best after what I've done?"

Her own fists tightened, angry that he would still be so selfish over this issue. "You don't see the obvious, so you're just going to pull yourself and wallow in self pity?!" Uraraka's breath heaved, emotion clouding her own mind.

He looked up finally, gazing brokenly, desperately, at Ochako. "And just what, is so obvious?" He asked slowly, torn.

Uraraka's shoulders lost their tension, and she stepped forward and hugged Katsuki. "I might not have known him nearly as long as you have, and I'll probably never know things about him that you do, but I know that Izuku whole heartedly respects you. He wants you to be a hero Katsuki!" She started threading her fingers through his hair again, gently stressing her point. "Giving up is the easy way out of this and no one will respect you for it."

Katsuki's shoulders were shaking violently now as he held his emotions down with all of his will power. " I don't DESERVE, any of their respect!"

Ochako sighed, tightening her embrace. "Maybe, maybe not. That isn't the point. HE would want you to move past this, to grow. I want you to accept it too. Katsuki, it'd hurt me more than you know if you left." She felt a wet spot growing on her shirt as Katsuki's dam holding back his true feelings finally cracked under her pressure. As he wrapped his stronger arms around her body, she felt tears of her own leaking through her closed eyes.

"I'm not asking for an overnight miracle, just, promise me, even halfway, that you'll try, and not pull yourself out of UA." Bakugo nodded roughly into her shoulder, still crying too much for words. She relaxed and let her tears fall unhindered. "Thank you."

\- over with the league -

As one teen released his pent up anger and hatred, an older one fed his with a vengeance, letting it fester inside until it was simmered down to pure loathing.

Shigaraki was enraged. All Might had been taken down over a week prior, but he still couldn't get past it. That KID, the stupid, preachy brat with enough nerve to deny All For One, had fought All Might, had taken him down, and then had the gall to be SORRY about it.

Tomura glared down at the ashes scattered about the counter, sifting rapidly into the cracks. He wasn't even sure what he had destroyed, but it was probably not important. He breathed heavily, malice clouding what little rational thought he possessed. Shigaraki sat back down guietly, still brewing over the insult that was Stain's Apprentice.

He stabbed a piece of meat on his plate, glaring down in disgust at it. He looked up as Kurogiri said something.

"Huh?"

The bartender sighed slightly. "I said, odd that it seems next to none of the Vanguard members are here at the moment. They appear to have a knack for wandering."

Shigaraki's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I've noticed that too. Especially Dabi and Spinner. Where WERE they during that brat and All Might's fight anyway? They couldn't have been THAT busy."

Giri nodded. "Perhaps they were training together? Their fighting abilities have improved substantially recently."

Tomura quickly looked up to his bartender, suspicious. "I thought that Dabi was doing special training with you. Why would he need to train with the lizard?"

Setting down his glass, Kurogiri gazed intently down at his charge. "Where ever did you get that idea?"

"Dabi told me himself," Tomura started, but the bartender shook his head.

"I've been working with him only as much as the others."

The two were interrupted from this revealing train of discussion by the television screen nearby flicking to life. It displayed a new headline, one that sent Tomura's blood pressure soaring again

'Tartarus, cracked!'

A/N

Soooo, here I am again! With a good sized chapter before I finish the story. Whooooooo! Also, I realize that I haven't updated DB recently, I'm still working on it (I haven't started the new chapter yet cuz I'm terrible). But if I don't get it out before this last chapter, I'll focus on it after I finish Fate here.

Now, comments! It's pretty much just CadB, so here we go.

Firstie, yay! Nicknames and happiness!

Secondie, (addressing your points out of order) since you explained what you did about the hero rankings, I went back and changed the concerning sentences appropriately, i.e. 'greatest hero in Japan' and 'hero of his childhood'.

Thirdie, considering the cop thing, I went back and added in that the cops had just arrived when izu left. Then there is the fact that they one, didn't know that he was now half blind and terribly weak, and two, they're scared of him. This juvenile just took down the greatest and most respected hero in Japan. He's basically a giant wake up call to the corrupted state of current society. Also, as seen in the movie Megamind (go watch plz, it great), if you've got a literal god (AM and others in this case) mucking about your cities, defeating crime in moments, your police will grow rather slack in their duties. So, yeah. They're ignorant, afraid, and slackers.

Fourthie, I'm kinda sad for Apo's update time too, but ah well. It's kinda what pushes me to update quickly. (Plus if I don't write my brain gets too horribly cluttered and my ideas overlap)

Fifthie, only 5%????? Don't you mean, OVER ONE HUNDRED PERCENT??????? *Cue my crazed laughter over the sounds of distant screams.

And das it for ye.

Hardcasekara, having Girl go mother hen on Baku and Izu was super fun and cute to write. And Stain is next so we're all getting our long awaited father-son reunion, after sooo looong of a wait. (Legit tho, I'm making the next chapter 'A Father and his Son' cuz feeeeeelsssss)

Sombra, another one near tears. You make me happy.

Well, I do believe that covers everything.


	19. A Father and his Son

Of course, Izuku was all that the media could talk about. 'Stain's Apprentice' this, 'Stain's Apprentice' that; actual news was barely mentioned. It made a certain prisoner in the most secure facility Japan had to offer, immensely proud.

A certain Stain.

The hero corporation and government in charge of Tartarus had finally decided on a move against the child. They were going to put Akaguro down with the goal of destroying the boy's hope.

Chizome knew this. He smiled at the guards who came by to mock him, making sure to glare at them right in the eyes. He had become a joke to the police force, many of them laughing over how the guy who would 'change the world' was sitting in an uncomfortable one room cell.

He was strangely calm for some one about to die. He always kind've imagined he'd go down in battle, no doubt covered in blood and using up his last vestiges of strength. Perhaps bleeding out from sword wounds, which would be almost hilariously ironic. Maybe some form of cliff or high edge, so he could have no possible means of surviving.

Yeah, that's how he would have imagined he'd go out. Falling after a defiant battle of wills.

A morbid train of thought to be sure.

But today, he didn't feel like he was going to die. There wasn't any sense of finality to this. Instead, a thrilling sense of euphoria thrummed through out his body.

Therefore, when the solid wall to his right suddenly melted into a pile of ash, Akaguro Chizome didn't question it. He only turned his head lazily and smiled. Of course, there was no one to be seen.

"Hello Master." The all too familiar youthful voice, muffled by an invisible mask, was an indescribable joy to the prisoner. "Sorry I took so long."

Akaguro chuckled, nearly laughed. "Kid, this time, you don't have a single thing to apologize for."

Izuku stepped into the cell, figure becoming visible. His hand fell away from his belt and he was wrapped in the arms of his father. The two stayed standing together for an emotional moment, finding a peace in each other.

It felt as though they had been separated for years, and Stain couldn't question why he could feel Izuku trembling in his arms. He, along with the rest of Japan, had watched the boy go through hell and back. To feel those insecure shoulders underneath his arms, no matter how much they shook, worked an almost therapeutic miracle on both master and student.

Chizome was the first to move, knowing Izuku could have probably stayed like that for hours. "Shouldn't there be police and heroes storming down these halls right now? And how did you get in here? It's designed to not let anyone in or out, especially loners. And what about your eyes?" That last was said rather urgently, parental instincts spiking.

The teen nodded to his master's questions, rifling through his coat pockets and violently sniffing back his emotions. "I have the tapes running on loops, but that probably won't last long, we need to get you out of here. Put this on." Izuku handed Stain a belt similar to the one he wore and a pair of goggles. "The dial at the middle, turn to the left twice. As for entering," he leaned out of the gaping hole in the wall, listening for guards while he spoke in a hushed tone "I'm not alone. I've made friends and valuable allies."

Stain completed the motion of activating the invisibility belt, looking warily at his student. "Who? Are they to be trusted?"

Izuku nodded, activating his own belt. Through the modified goggles, Stain could still see Izuku, and could only trust that the boy was invisible. "Yes. I trust them. We need to leave. I'll explain them and my eyes later, at a more appropriate time."

The two sped down the halls, silent and noticible as ghosts. Izuku raised a hand to his ear, speaking in hushed tones.

"Dabi, Spinner, gimme good news." He tilted his head as he listened, making Akaguro wish he had an earpiece as well. He was curious as to who these friends were. "Good. Woods?" Another brief pause. "Perfect. You two, get out quickly, Woods, wait for us."

They kept moving through the asylum, speeding along slightly. "Those your new friends?" Stain asked, no doubt sounding like an overly protective parent.

"Yep." Izuku moved to one side of an elevator they were nearing, Chizome taking the other. "Just need the janitor to arrive on time now-"

As the squeak of wheels was heard approaching the elevator, Izuku reached to his belt, unfastening a little bottle of sleeping gas. The doors were opened and the three men slipped inside. The poor janitor had no idea what happened. As soon as the door were shut and the button pressed, Izuku was on top of him. With a hand over his mouth and a face full of sleeping gas, the man had no chance. Once sure that he was completely out, Izuku held one gloved hand over the unconscious janitor's face, a blue light shining from his palm. Izuku then bundled the man into the cleaning trolley, with a helping hand from Stain.

Izuku stood, reaching to his belt and turning the dial to the left once. Immediately, his image changed from invisible teen to the unconscious janitor. The hologram solidified just as the doors opened.

"Mind explaining why we did that now?" Stain hissed as Izuku squeaked his way to the maintenance closet. The wheels masked their voices, so the two criminals could quietly converse without fear of being heard.

"He always fiddles around with his supplies when he's in the elevator." Izuku muttered quietly, speaking behind his holographic smile. "He would have knocked into us." Izuku locked his trolley and apron in the closet with a satisfying click, walking away with a cheerful whistle. They neared the exit doors, their breath growing rapid. Coming from the halls to their right, Dabi and Spinner could be seen, walking just as lightly and shrouded by the invisibility belt. They nodded in greeting, gesturing to the confiscated blades they carried. Stain's katana, his many knives, his shurikens, all.

Izuku seemingly didn't acknowledge them, still pretending to be the whistling janitor. He reached the large tunnel to ferry them away, silently praying that his hacking hadn't been discovered and would hold true. His adrenaline and nerves were soaring, causing his vision to distort and fade in and out, making him feel sick. He wished he could just close his eyes, but it would be too suspicious, so he was forced to focus solely on walking in a straight line. Izuku was still adjusting to his half blindness, and was traversing the walkway entirely through memory.

He stepped inside the tunnel, the sliding doors staying open long enough for the three others to slip through. The secutity guard greeted Izuku with a half smile, believing him to be the simple janitor. "Hey there friend. Alone again?"

Izuku laughed spreading his arms to be patted down. "Ah, you know what they're like." He drawled out the 'they're' and winking slyly at the officer, implying a less than innocent subject. "Can't find a loyal one for anything."

The guard laughed, waving Izuku forward. "Hah! True my friend!"

Izuku discreetly held his breath as they approached the last security measure, a heat detector. Izuku may be able to disguise and turn people invisible, but thermal energy is hard to get rid of. If his hack was still in place, then the others would pass underneath the detector without setting every alarm the asylum possessed off and starting a mad chase. If it wasn't, then Izuku was unsure if they could make it tp the van in time.

One step, two; he had resist the urge to look at the detector, not that he would have been able to see it. He kept whistling, trying keep his breathing regular. A third step, one more; he relaxed his fists, allowing his limp hands to swing by his sides lazily.

At last, sunlight hit his face. He blinked, feeling the warmth saturate into his skin, and smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. He turned to the left and wandered towards 'his' car.

"That was stressful." He muttered, ducking behind the janitor's small car. He switched his belt back to invisibility and walked briskly towards a row of police vans, his vision slowly returning. "Woods, which one are you?"

At the reply, Izuku turned to the next row over. They all were nearly sprinting now, racing towards the lone van fueled by sheer adrenaline alone. The car was carefully placed, coupled with a very specific video loop, so that the opened doors couldn't be seen by neither guard nor camera. With how easily Izuku had gotten into their system, he almost could have thought that he was pulling this job at a third rate downtown police station.

The four piled into the car; Woods, the driver, Spinner in driver side passenger, Dabi behind Woods, Stain on the other side, and Izuku between the two. "Keep your belts activated" Izuku murmured as Elija pulled out of the parking lot, "we can't afford be seen."

Woods, disguised in a belt of his own, pulled up to the gate, was dismissed by the security men, and moments later, was out onto the free roads.

They had done it.

The boys chuckled to each other, tension melting away to relief. Hands went to waists, and soon they were all visible to each other plainly. Still laughing, Izuku bent down, freeing his laptop from the bag at his feet. He had one more hack to complete.

With a few expert clicks, every cell in Tartarus cracked open. Fire extinguishers went off, alarms blared, and all cameras deactivated. A little well placed chaos to leave a mark.

He snapped the computer shut, sitting back with a sigh and melting into the chair. He fumbled his mask off, taking a refreshing breath of cold air pumping from the A.C. Izuku felt as if a millstone had been removed from his shoulders, causing him to relax involuntarily and slip sideways into his master's side. Akaguro gave one last chuckle, folding his arm around Izuku's shoulders. They took another brief moment just to bask in each other's presence.

Chizome finally lifted his head, eyeing the two men Izuku had apparently become friends with. An emo, scarred, twenty some year old, and a lizard. There was also the driver, but he was quickly dismissed in Akaguro's mind; Woods was clearly only a civilian. The two others stared back at him, wide eyed, like children.

"And who are you two?" He asked gruffly, all amusement gone from his voice. Izuku shifted, gesturing to his two strays.

"The one in all black is Dabi, the lizard is Spinner. To the public they work with the Leauge, but they belong with us."

Chizome's eyes narrowed, distrustful. "The Leauge...?"

Izuku chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. They tried to recruit me, but they made the mistake of thinking I can be manipulated. I merely came along to expose Shigaraki's lies to these two." He shifted, snuggling deeper into his master's side. Chizome grunted, always unhappy with public affection, but couldn't exactly resist. He shifted slightly as Izuku reached up, pulling off his goggles and ski mask.

"Kid!" Akaguro gasped, far louder than he would have liked. Around Izuku's eyes, and crossing over at several points, was a tapestry of scars. The thickest of them all started above Izuku's right eye, then cut diagonally across his left. Another, the next thickest, also cut into the same eye perpendicularly, and a myriad of others of different sizes and shapes were scattered across his young face, along with an older scar along his right cheek from his fight at the training camp. The scars were red and looked slightly inflamed, irritated by the mask and goggles. Izuku looked up at his shocked master, his eyes themselves void of all cuts and swelling. They were as strong and beautiful as they had ever been, clear and sparkling.

"Don't worry." He said gently, giving a small smile. "It looks worse than it actually is."

"Actually Izu," Touya interjected, speaking for the first time and pointing a long finger at his friend, "it looks just as bad as it really is."

Izuku leaned forward slightly, pointing his own finger back into Touya's face annoyedly. "I'm fine! I just need, some adjustment time."

Suddenly, Akaguro's hand was clasped around the top of Izuku's head. He barely had time for an "Oh no" before he was pulled back to look up at his master. There was little mercy in his eyes, making Izuku shut up instantly. It had been quite some time since Izuku had been subject to one of 'those' looks, and he was not happy to see it again. He gulped.

"And just how bad are your eyes, exactly?" Stain spoke behind his facade of mercilessness. He was terribly worried for his child; this was exactly what he was afraid would happen should they ever be separated (apart from the boy actually dying, that is).

Izuku blinked, once. "Well, my eyes are usually fine, I can see fairly well so long as I don't overuse them. But, once my stress and adrenaline levels start getting too high, my vision fades and and blinks, and it's all really disorienting and makes me nauseous." He spoke in a quiet rush, looking timidly up at Akaguro. The look in his master's eyes set Izuku on edge, and he wished he could look away.

Surely, after all Izuku had just done to save him and prove he was worthy to be his apprentice, Stain wouldn't send Izuku home because he was half blind. Surely. He wasn't sure what he would do with himself if that were to happen.

Akaguro leaned his head back, breaking the stare. Pushing his tounge around in his cheek, he though about the current situation. "Well." He finally spoke. "We'll have to find away around that, won't we? Can't have my kid half blind on the battle field now can I?"

Izuku chuckled, masking a sigh of relief. He'd just been over thinking again, his master wasn't going to abandon him. "Yeah, we will have to work around this." He leaned forward, tapping the driver seat, addressing Woods. "Up here should be good. Just make sure it isn't obvious."

They all clambered out, Akaguro still questioning his student, only much less harshly. "Any solutions yet?"

Izuku shook his head, flicking a marble on the ground and watching Elija disappear. "Not yet, I was pretty focused on letting myself heal enough to see and planning how to get you out."

Nodding, Chizome switched topics as Spinner jumped through the next portal. "And this Woods guy?"

"I saved his wife from this really strange disease." Izuku explained happily, allowing Dabi through next. "He promised he would be in my service as long as I am in this line of business, so long as he is never made to kill."

Stain nodded, giving a satisfied 'hmm'.

Together, Izuku and he jumped through the last portal, as they should have done those months back in Hosu. They landed heavily, leaning on each other comfortably. Since the stress and tension had left, Izuku was finding it harder and harder to stay awake, his battered and worn body demanding rest. He still insisted on staying around for a rather awkward meet up with Mrs Lily (who was not thrilled to have another murderer around, but respected what Akaguro had done for the teen she had taken in) and little Mathew (who mostly hid behind his father's legs, intimidated by Stain's rough appearance).

Once they had left however and the others were packing up to return to Shigaraki, Izuku nearly crashed. He slumped against his master's shoulder wearily, and allowed Chizome to sweep his limp body upwards. He didn't complain as he was carried like a little kid into the bedroom in front of his two best friends. Izuku just accepted his lot in life with a tired happiness.

Stain set Izuku gently into his bed, the sounds of Dabi and Spinner leaving to rejoin the Leauge growing distant. Akaguro ruffled Izuku's messy top of unruly green hair with a fond smile.

"Get some sleep kid. You've done more than enough for right now." He stood, walking over to his own mattress and collapsed unto the covers. "You've made me proud Izuku."

"Thanks Dad." Izuku muttered sleepily.

His hard heart softening, Chizome Akaguro smiled. "Don't mention it Son."

The world would never be the same after that night. A father and his son had been reunited at last, and they had a goal to finish, a vision to see come to fruition. They had new allies, new powers. Izuku had found his strength, had proven himself, had been saved from himself, and had gotten back the man who had first saved his life.

Master Chizome Akaguro and his faithful apprentice Izuku Midoriya. What grand works they will work together.

A/N

So. Here it is. The last chapter of Fate. Feels good, and a little sad, cuz I know that the story is almost over. *sniff* my baby! On the plus side tho I can finally start the one shot comp, and who knows how long that'll go, so we get more stuff! Just not future stuff cuz I haven't written that yet.

Anyway, tell me honestly dears, how well do you think I pulled off father/son relationship here. I legit wanna know. I kind've implemented how I act whenever I meet up with someone dear (anyone I love in general (I am very huggy)) that I havent seen in a while (Legit, cuddles and long hugs are my weaknesses).

And as for that paragraph of Stain sending Izuku home for his own safety sincenhe is now half blind, don't worry. That was purely just Izu over thinking things. Akaguro keeps a very close eye on his son after this point, and continues to train him and help him through his new limitations. FunfactI'll eventually get to in the oneshots that I'll just spoil for you now, Izuku actually learns a form of echolocation for when he can't see scrap. He taps on these metal bracelets he starts wearing, or his weapons, and navigates/fights with that and with other sounds he naturally hears. And I know he can do this cuz 1)he's epic, and 2) people in our modern day society actually do this and bnha is like, 300 years in our future.

Izu's freaking metal.

Anyways, comments!

Sombra! Sorry I haven't been posting as quickly as usual. For some reason I've been pretty distracted recently, and haven't gotten down to writing. BUT I SHALL try TO PERSEVERE! Also, thanks a million for the suggestion on how to make people cry, and I will try to implement that into my writing more (I do tend to skip over that and focus on actions don't I?). Writing suggestions and tips are always welcome!

CadB! I may just read those. I'm a sucker for these wonderful boys, but Katsuki is probably my top fave (of the heroes that is;))

Hardcasekara, YES! DADDY STAIN! I LOVE HIM! Also, Shig's world does rather fall apart around him, as we shall see in Cruel Destiny. And if you could explain what you mean by 'I want to see him come in the end'. I don't get that.

That's all, and with a few internal tears over the last chapter of book two, so long my lovies!


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